Hidden Figures: Mary McLeod Bethune (Patreon)

Hidden Figures: Mary McLeod Bethune

Mary McLeod Bethune was an American educator, stateswoman, philanthropist, humanitarian and civil rights activist. She was appointed as a national adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of what was known as his Black Cabinet, and was known as "The First Lady of The Struggle" because of her commitment to gain better lives for African Americans. Born in Mayesville, South Carolina, to parents who had been slaves, she started working in fields with her family at age five. She took an early interest in becoming educated; with the help of benefactors, Bethune attended college hoping to become a missionary in Africa. She started a school for African-American girls in Daytona Beach, Florida; it later merged with an institute for African-American boys, and was known as the Bethune-Cookman School. She was president of the college from 1923 to 1942, and 1946 to 1947. She was one of the few women in the world to serve as a college president at that time. Bethune was also active in women's clubs, which were strong civic organizations supporting welfare and other needs, and became a national leader. After working on the presidential campaign for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, she was invited as a member of his Black Cabinet. She advised him on concerns of black people and helped share Roosevelt's message and achievements with blacks, who had historically been Republican voters since the Civil War. Honors include designation of her home in Daytona Beach as a National Historic Landmark, her house in Washington, D.C. as a National Historic Site, and the installation of a memorial sculpture of her in Lincoln Park in Washington, D.C. #MaryMcCleodBethune #HiddenFigures ****************** Follow me on social media! Twitter: @seren_sensei Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu Tumblr: http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com Snapchat: sssseren GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seren_sensei ****************** Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture' Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6 Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6 Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa ****************** Links: Mary McLeod Bethune: http://www.biography.com/people/mary-mcleod-bethune-9211266 Mary Mcleod Bethune - National Women's History Museum: https://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/mary-mcleod-bethune/ Bethune, Mary Jane McLeod: http://www.blackpast.org/aah/bethune-mary-jane-mcleod-1875-1955 Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955): https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/teachinger/glossary/bethune-mary.cfm Mary McLeod Bethune (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_McLeod_Bethune Scottsboro Boys (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottsboro_Boys Southern Tenant Farmers Union: http://www.blackpast.org/aah/southern-tenant-farmers-union