Backpack (Mary McLeod Bethun)

Mary McLeod Bethune was a pioneering African American educator, philanthropist, humanitarian, and civil rights activist. Born on July 10, 1875, in Maysville, South Carolina, she was the fifteenth of seventeen children born to parents who were former slaves.

Bethune’s most notable achievements include:

Founding the National Council of Negro Women in 1935, an organization dedicated to advancing opportunities and the quality of life for African American women.
Establishing a school for African American students in Daytona Beach, Florida, which eventually became Bethune-Cookman University.
Serving as a special adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, where she worked with him to create the Federal Council on Colored Affairs, also known as the Black Cabinet.
Being the sole African American woman officially a part of the US delegation that created the United Nations charter.
Bethune’s legacy is marked by her relentless advocacy for education and civil rights, making her one of the most influential African American women of the 20th century. Her efforts earned her the title “First Lady of Negro America” by Ebony magazine in 1949. She passed away on May 18, 1955, leaving behind a profound impact on American history.