Child Watch® Column

CDF founder and lifelong advocate for children and youth Marian Wright Edelman shares her perspective on current events.

Latest Articles

  • Being Loving Champions for Justice

    For people whose hearts are broken by seeing news of parents, families, and children suffering anywhere, this has been a difficult week.…

  • Fourth of July Lessons from Frederick Douglass

    On a Fourth of July when many Americans are expressing profound concerns about whether the government’s orders, decisions, and votes are representing their voices and asking questions about what we the people means today, it is an opportune time to return to the keynote speech Frederick Douglass gave in Rochester, New York, at an Independence Day celebration on July 5, 1852. …

  • KIDS Count

    Following the Facts on Child Well-Being

    Earlier this month, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 2025 edition of the KIDS COUNT® Data Book, an annual resource that measures national and state data on economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors.…

  • Gun Violence

    Rejecting the Menace of Violence

    On an extraordinary day when an estimated five million people came together at rallies and protests across the country to share their political views nonviolently, political violence still struck our nation.…

Marian Wright Edelman

Marian Wright Edelman

Marian Wright Edelman is a lifelong advocate for disadvantaged Americans and is the Founder and President Emerita of Children’s Defense Fund (CDF). Under her leadership, CDF has become the nation’s strongest voice for children, youth, and families.

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