Mary McLeod Bethune, born to former slaves a decade after the Civil War, devoted her life to ensure the right to education and freedom from discrimination for African Americans. Bethune believed that with education, African Americans would begin to earn a living in a country that still opposed racial equality. As a result of her hard work and contributions to society, there was a United States Postal Stamp issued in , thirty years after her death, in remembrance of Mary McLeod Bethune.
She was one of the seventeen children that worked in the cotton fields with her family. She married Albertus Bethune and had one son. During the time she taught in Illinois, she visited prisoners in jail, giving them inspiration through songs National Association of Home Care. On May 18, , Mary McLeod Bethune died leaving a legacy of interracial cooperation and increased educational opportunity for African Americans ibid.
Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator, an organizer, and a political activist. In addition, she also made many contributions to the African American society ibid. Upon the opening of the school, there were five girls who attended as students.
Although the students had to pay tuition, she never turned away any child whose parents were unable to pay. Later, boys were able to attend as well National Association of Home Care. In addition to working hard to maintain the school, Bethune also fought aggressively the segregation and inequality facing African Americans, even opening a high school and a hospital for African Americans.
Bethune had an enormous faith in God ibid. Bethune was the first African American woman to be involved in the White House, assisting four different presidents from to and to ibid. In , she was the president of the National Association of Colored Women and also reached the highest level in national office to which, at that time, a Black woman could aspire. In addition to all the commitments that she had over the years, Bethune continued to work with many different organizations such as the National Urban League, the Association of American Colleges, and the League of Women Voters.
