Mary McLeod Bethune

Andrew Cashin 12/19/10

Research Paper Ms. Thomas

Mary McLeod Bethune

During the civil rights movement, not all people thought that equal education for everyone was the right way to run a country, they were wrong. Mary McLeod Bethune was someone who knew this, and was trying to help this country. Mary was a poor black woman born in 1875 who accomplished so much for the African American community. She opposed the ideas of society that African American shouldn't be treated as equals to white men, and she also helped support the idea that women were equal to men.

Mary started as a very poor black women, who through great persistence and a little luck, got a chance to become a very successful African American woman. Mary's parents were both slaves and she was part of the first generation of their family not to be slaves, as she was born only twelve years after the Emancipation Proclamation. She was one of seventeen children and had a difficult childhood in Mayesville, South Carolina(Botsch). Racism was still very present and she had a hard time becoming educated because of the constant abuse she took from society. Mary was quoted in an interview saying, "One child thought my skin was dirty and told me to clean it off. I told her it was just the color of my skin, but she didn't believe me."(Marcus) This shows how ignorant people were during this time and also, it shows how she was constantly being reminded in negative ways that she was African American. Mary was always trying to read and better educate herself, and one day, she got a chance that would change her life, and the life of many others. A woman from Detroit was offering to pay for one child's education, and since Mary was the best in her class, she was chosen for this opportunity. She was taken to the Scotia Seminary, where she was the only black girl and one of the only nonwhites in the school. After excelling there, she was given a scholarship to Moody Bible Institute where she again was one of the only African American people there(Vechten) . To be this well educated as an African American woman in these times were very rare, so Mary knew she had to take advantage of this great opportunity she was given. Mary's love for education continued even after this, she became a teacher at Augusta, Georgia at Haines Institute. She only stayed there for one year before moving on to higher positions.

Mary McLeod Bethune used her knowledge to help many other black men and women by trying to give them the same opportunities she had. She believed that all people should have the same education, so she started a school for black women in Daytona Beach, it started as a very small school but soon joined with a black male school. She served as President of this school from 1904-1942 and again from 1946-1947(Botsch). She was also a high ranked leader in the black women's club movement as well as in the national conferences on education, child welfare, and home ownership. She was the Vice President of National Association of Colored Women and the director of Negro affairs in the National Youth Administration. She was very active in the advancement for African Americans and Women in society, she was constantly fighting for more rights for each of these group, and was one of the most respected African American women of her time. The list of her accomplishments is very long and contain being the Vice President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People("NAACP"), she was awarded the Haitian Medal of Honor an Merit and in Liberia, she was given honor of Commander of the Order of the Star of Africa("Mary McLeod Bethune"). One of her more famous positions was in the Black Cabinet of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Black Cabinet was a group of respected African Americans that he used as advisors on all issues concerning racial laws or any racial decision(Vechten). It was supported by Eleanor Roosevelt, who became good friends with Mary McLeod Bethune. Mary was the only woman in the Black Cabinet and was referred to as "Ma Bethune" by the rest of the cabinet("Mary McLeod Bethune"). She was very well respected by those men and the name was a comical nickname for Mary. Mary was considered by President Roosevelt to be his unofficial adviser. Mary was also an important person to President Truman, she was one of three African Americans to be sent by the U.S as a consultant in developing the United Nations charter(Botsch). Mary's accomplishments helped other African Americans to realize that they can achieve great things in this country now. Before Mary became known, most black people thought that they could never accomplish as much as she did, but now all people can feel equal and all American citizens now have equal opportunities for education among other things. She also helped end the ignorance of all white people in this country because as a child, many people couldn't believe, even though she was smart, that she could ever accomplish as much as she has. Mary worked with Vice President Thomas Marshall so that black people could have the same opportunities to give and to receive from the red cross foundation(Halamandaris). Mary was very dedicated to her work, she traveled