Mary McLeod Bethune

Mary McLeod Bethune was a pioneering educator and college founder who set educational standards for today's Black colleges and served as an advisor to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

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Profession :

Teacher

Birthday :

July 10, 1875

Star Sign :

Cancer

Death Date:

May 18, 1955

Age :

79

Birthplace :

Mayesville, South Carolina

Mary McLeod Bethune was a prominent American educator, political leader, and civil rights activist. She is best known for founding the National Council of Negro Women, which advocated for equal rights and opportunities for African American women. Additionally, she served as an advisor on minority affairs to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and played a significant role in the formation of the United Nations.

Bethune’s accomplishments include establishing the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls, which later became Bethune-Cookman University, and serving as the first African American woman to head a federal government agency when she was appointed Director of the Division of Negro Affairs in the National Youth Administration during World War II. This position made her the highest-ranking African American woman in the federal government at the time.

Other notable achievements of Mary McLeod Bethune include her tenure as President of the National Association of Colored Women, her advocacy for women’s suffrage and equal rights for women of color, and her authorship of a weekly public affairs column for the Chicago Defender newspaper.

As a pioneering educator and college founder, Mary McLeod Bethune set educational standards for today’s Black colleges and served as an advisor to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Her legacy as an activist, leader, and educator continues to inspire future generations in the fight for equality and social justice.