Marian Wright Edelman, an activist for civil and children’s rights, reflects on her personal experiences with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the role of faith in his leadership. Drawing from her first encounter with Dr. King at Spelman College and their work during the civil rights movement, Edelman discusses how King’s teachings of perseverance, nonviolence, and love continue to inspire today’s fight for equality. She also shares how King’s accessibility and humility during challenging times empowered her lifelong commitment to social justice and ending child poverty.

Marian Wright Edelman is a lawyer and civil rights activist, and a leading U.S. advocate for children’s rights. Born in Bennettsville, South Carolina in 1939, she earned an undergraduate degree from Spelman College in 1960, and a law degree from Yale University in 1963. In 1964, she left her position on the legal defense team of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to organize voters and advocate for civil rights in the South. In 1973, she founded and became acting President of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF). She received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 1985, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000 and a Robert F Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award.

From the HBO / Kunhardt Film Foundation (KFF) Documentary “King in the Wilderness” that follows Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the last years of his life: from the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to his assassination in 1968, through personal stories of the people who were around him.

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Chapter Markers
00:00:30 - Meeting Dr. King, Spelman College, 1960
00:02:04 - Dr. King’s vulnerability as a leader
00:02:50 - Organizing Atlanta sit-ins
00:04:43 - Dr. King affirming student organizers
00:05:13 - The Poor People’s Campaign
00:06:39 - Robert Kennedy’s visit to the Delta
00:09:25 - The direction of the movement
00:11:20 - Airlie House
00:12:22 - Andrew Young’s leadership
00:13:24 - Dr. King’s assassination
00:15:18 - Continuing Dr. King’s work for justice and equality
00:17:06 - Learning from Dr. King’s work
00:18:28 - Dr. King - A Prophet of Our Time

Marian Wright Edelman, Mississippi Director, NAACP
Interviewed By: Trey Ellis
Interview Date: March 20, 2017

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