Homeless shelters, child hunger, and child suffering have become normalized in the richest nation on earth. It's time to reset our moral compass and redefine how we measure success. Marian Wright Edelman More Quotes by Marian Wright Edelman More Quotes From Marian Wright Edelman I hadn't planned on going to law school. I wanted to study 19th-century Russian literature. Marian Wright Edelman literature law school It never occurred to me that I was not going to challenge segregation. Marian Wright Edelman segregation challenges I never thought I was breaking a glass ceiling. I just had to do what I had to do, and it never occurred to me not to. Marian Wright Edelman glass-ceiling ceilings glasses Never work just for money. Money alone won't save your soul or build a decent family life or help you sleep at night. We're the richest nation on Earth, with the highest number of imprisoned people in the world. Our drug addictions and child poverty are among the highest in the industrialized world. So don't ever confuse wealth or fame with character. Marian Wright Edelman money character children Much of what I do now stems from my rage at segregation and discrimination. I can't stand to see children not able to do anything, anybody not able to do what they can do. The daily lessons of exclusion, having hand-me-down books in schools, of seeing ambulances turn away and not give health care for people lying in the streets who are migrant workers. Everything I do today stems from that segregated existence. Marian Wright Edelman book lying children In politics, there are no friends. Marian Wright Edelman no-friends I grew up in a very religious family and it is the motivating force to every thing I do. I am fortunate to have had adults all around me who really lived their faith, in helping other people and doing the best you can do. Marian Wright Edelman helping-others religious people We have the capacity to make sure that every mother has pre-natal care. Yet, we don't do it. What is it about America? It says we don't value children and families. We are hypocrites. Marian Wright Edelman hypocrite mother children If things are too easy, life is a whole lot less interesting. Marian Wright Edelman life-is easy interesting I have always believed that I could help change the world, because I have been lucky to have adults around me who did. Marian Wright Edelman adults lucky world History does not pose problems without eventually producing the solutions. Marian Wright Edelman solutions problem doe Hunger and malnutrition have devastating consequences for children and have been linked to low birth weight and birth defects, obesity, mental and physical health problems, and poorer educational outcomes. Marian Wright Edelman birth-defects educational children God, please help us remember that all the darkness in the world cannot snuff out the light of one little candle. Help us to keep lighting our little candles until a mighty torch of justice sweeps our nation and the world. Marian Wright Edelman light darkness justice Don't be afraid of hard work. Marian Wright Edelman hard hard-work I also grew up with community co-parents who looked out for each other. They looked out for children and tried to be the hands of God. They tried to live their faith. Marian Wright Edelman community children hands Amidst protestations of 'Who can be against the children?' too few people are FOR children when it really matters. Marian Wright Edelman matter children people Education remains one of the black community's most enduring values. It is sustained by the belief that freedom and education go hand in hand, that learning and training are essential to economic quality and independence. Marian Wright Edelman black community hands I try to act out of faith. Marian Wright Edelman trying I'm tough in the sense that I believe as strongly in what I'm doing as anybody else believes in what they are doing. Marian Wright Edelman i-believe tough believe Justice is not cheap. Justice is not quick. It is not ever finally achieved. Marian Wright Edelman african-american justice
