Marian was a lawyer for the NAACP in Mississippi, an ally of Dr. King and Robert Kennedy, and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund. She’s an altogether remarkable woman.

One day during my first semester in law school, I saw a flyer on a campus bulletin board. Marian was coming to give a lecture. I made sure to be there. What I heard was completely captivating.

Marian talked about creating a Head Start program in Mississippi — using her legal education to make life better for poor children and families. Something clicked in my brain. I began to see how I could translate the commitment to helping others I’d learned from my mother and my church into real social change.

So I went up Marian and said, “Could I work for you this summer?” She said, “Sure, but I can’t pay you.” And I said, “Well, I am paying my way through law school, so I have to get paid.”

Marian said, “Well, if you can figure out how to get paid, you can have a job.” So I figured out how to get a grant and went to work for her.

After I graduated from law school, I could have followed many of my classmates to a high-powered law firm, but I went to work for Marian at the Children’s Defense Fund instead.

She sent me door-to-door in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on behalf of children with disabilities who were denied the chance to go to school.

I remember meeting a young girl in a wheelchair on the small back porch of her house. She told me how badly she wanted an education — it just didn’t seem possible.

My heart went out to her. I really wanted to help. But it became clear that simply caring is not enough. That wouldn’t force the public school to build more wheelchair ramps or put more resources into special education.

I learned that to drive real progress, you have to change both hearts and laws.

So Marian had us gather evidence. We built a coalition, and our work helped convince Congress to pass a law that ensures all children with disabilities have access to school.

That experience turned me into a lifelong advocate for children and families.