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Politics & Policy

Progress for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

December 12, 2014
On December 10th President Obama hosted a White House Summit on Early Education, bringing together a broad coalition of philanthropic, business, education, child advocacy, and elected leaders and other key stakeholders. It was a welcome chance to celebrate progress in expanding access to quality early childhood development and learning opportunities for children from birth through age 5. Although we haven’t yet seen the passage of needed comprehensive legislation to provide low-income and other at-risk children a full continuum of quality supports from voluntary home visiting programs to Early Head Start and Head Start, child care, pre-kindergarten and — I hope — full-day kindergarten, progress has been made in increasing access to and expanding quality programs and building support for future investments.
Marian Wright Edelman's picture

Three Ways to Raise Wages

December 10, 2014
For a lot of working people, this holiday season will be one of belt-tightening rather than shopping sprees. Let’s face it, our wages just aren’t keeping up the way they used to. Here’s a fact: Average income for the least rich 90% of us has been flat since the 1970s, although people are working...
Liz Shuler's picture

Report From My Town: The Berkeley ‘Looters’ Are White

December 9, 2014
BERKELEY, Calif. – On Sunday, I achieved a milestone: I finished a 13.1-mile trail run largely uphill just north of San Francisco. When I was done, I could barely walk, but I was on a high: I did it! When I got back to my car, my heart seemed to skip a beat. I had a couple of missed phone calls and...
Elisa Batista's picture

Talking to White Boys About Ferguson

December 3, 2014
What is the best way to be an ally right now? It isn’t enough to say that I was heartbroken, furious, and frustrated on Monday night . Decrying the decision not to indict Darren Wilson on social media is insufficient - mine is just another tiny voice in the hurricane of public outrage. And, while...
Leanne Simon's picture

A Time for Prayer, Thanksgiving, Discernment and Strategic Nonviolent Action

November 26, 2014
In the wake of Ferguson and a series of young Black male deaths at the hands of official law enforcement personnel (and one self-appointed neighborhood watchman who cost Trayvon Martin his life), I hope we will use this November time of Thanksgiving and celebration of Native American Heritage month...
Marian Wright Edelman's picture

A Mother's Worry

November 25, 2014
I am the mother of two Black boys. As any mother would, I worry about my children every day—that I might have to rush one of them to the hospital with a broken bone, that they might experience bullying, or that they might one day have to feel the sting of heartbreak. I suspect Michael Brown’s...
Gail Zuagar's picture

How far would you go to protect your family?

November 24, 2014
I now understand the idea of parents being willing to do “anything” for their children. Sometimes you have to fight to protect your family--- at the voting booth, in a courtroom or even in your own community.
Christine Rose Regan's picture
Take Action!

BREAKING - No indictment. Enough is enough.

November 24, 2014
It’s time to make our voices heard to end racial profiling and to advance police reform.Enough is enough.
Monifa Bandele's picture

After the Election: Organize, Mobilize, Agitate…then Vote.

November 24, 2014
This post, authored by Florida State Senator Dwight Bullard, originally appeared on TalkPoverty.org . State Senator Dwight Bullard urges Americans to continue the fight for policies that support working families . TalkPoverty.org is dedicated to demonstrating that we know how to dramatically reduce...
Alyssa Peterson's picture

Learning to Love What You Have

November 21, 2014
In a season focused on gratitude, 17-year-old Monica Chica has an attitude about choosing to be grateful that’s wise far beyond her years: “The most important lesson I learned is that being happy is not about having with you what you loved in the past, but learning to love what you have in the...
Marian Wright Edelman's picture

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