Peter Edelman Oral History Interview
- Created by
- National Museum of African American History and Culture, American, founded 2003
- Interview of
- Edelman, Peter, American, Harvard University, born 1938
- Interviewed by
- Steiner, Marc B., American, born 1946
- Recorded by
- Moir, Kim, American
- Subject of
- Poor People's Campaign, American, 1967 - 1968
- Senator Kennedy, Robert F., American, 1925 - 1968
- Edelman, Marian Wright, American, born 1939
- Chavez, Cesar E., American, 1927 - 1993
- Date
- February 28, 2018
- Medium
- digital
- Dimensions
- Duration: 01:17:29
- 13.21 GB
- Description
- An oral history consisting of a single digital video recording (2018.78.8.1). It was collected as part of the Poor People’s Campaign Interviews.
- In this interview, Peter Edelman, a law professor and lifelong anti-poverty advocate, discusses his experience working with Senator Robert Kennedy (RFK) in the 1960s and reflects on how that experience affected his life’s work.
- Edelman begins the interview by talking about his upbringing and the influence of his parents, but he soon turns to a discussion of how he came to be working for RFK in 1965. Edelman then discusses his experiences with RFK from 1965-1968, particularly their work on issues of race and poverty in America. Edelman also reflects on the evolution of RFK’s political thinking in the years before his assassination and discusses how he was changed by his experiences during those years. He then speaks about the continued issue of poverty in the United States and the efficacy of public policy (such as Social Security, the Earned Income Tax Credit, Foodstamps, Housing Vouchers, etc.) in the fight against poverty. Edelman concludes the interview by offering his advice to the younger generations in the fight for economic justice.
- Place collected
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Collection title
- Poor People’s Campaign Oral Histories
- Classification
- Time-based Media - Moving Images
- Movement
- Civil Rights Movement
- African American - Latinx Solidarity
- Poor People's Campaign
- Type
- video recordings
- oral histories
- digital media - born digital
- Topic
- Activism
- Civil rights
- Humanitarianism
- Justice
- Labor
- Politics
- Poverty
- Race relations
- U.S. History, 1961-1969
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2018.78.8.1
- Restrictions & Rights
- © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.