Mary Mcleod Bethune: The First Lady Of The Struggle

Mary Mcleod Bethune was an equal parts educator, politician, and social visionary. She was known as “The First Lady of the Struggle,” most of her career was devoted to improving the lives of African Americans through education, political, and economic empowerment. Mrs.Bethune was born into slavery, this means that she could not get any education. At the young age of 12 she was finally able to go to school and get an education. This is why Mrs.Bethune wanted to be an educator for African Americans. She made a change in the society by creating the first public school for African Americans to ensure education for African Americans. Mary Mcleod Bethune took a stand for African American education by creating the first African American public school and working hard for African American education.
Mary Jane McLeod was born in Mayesville, South Carolina, to slaved parents. At a very young age Mary had been inspired by the words of a preacher who spoke of the need for missionaries in Africa. She took an early interest in education, with the help of blessings, she attended college hoping to become a missionary in Africa (“Mary McLeod Bethune”). After college, she started a school for African American girls in Daytona Beach, Florida which was combined with an …show more content…
Mrs.Bethune was a very quiet lady that did not like to brag, “ She was outspoken in her support for civil rights and actively supported efforts to end lynching and the poll tax,” she was a big help in civil rights and helped to end the polls. Mrs.Bethune did not want people to praise or show her any attention for what she did, “Bethune did not confine her efforts on behalf of African Americans to government-sponsored programs,” this quote explains that she did not want to be recognized for her success. She would express her opinion if the whites were not hiring the African Americans. She stood up to Washington for refusing to hire the African