Mary Jane McLeod Bethune was one of the most significant Africa American woman in the history of America. During her time, Bethune advocated for social justice, education and political rights for the blacks. Bethune lived during the World War II era, where most African Americans where exploited in America. Many blacks were enslaved and subjected to hard labour. Also, the blacks were denied their civil rights which led to poverty among the African Americans. Bethune was an icon celebrated for several decades because of her outstanding struggle on gender equality and the empowerment of women in politics.
Early Life
On 10 th 1875, Bethune was born in South Carolina in a family of 17 children. In this era, many children belonging to the slaves were subjected to hard work, especially in the settler farms. However, for Bethune, this was not the case. Bethune joined a nearby missionary school, which was specifically for African American children, unlike other children in her village. Due to her hard work and dedication in school, Bethune was sponsored to study in Scotia Seminary in North Carolina. She later joined Moody Bible Institute in 1895, after which she became a teacher after studying for two years (Colleges 2018).
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Bethune practiced her career for several years. In her career, she met her husband in 1898, but due to her fallacies and ideologies in education, she terminated her marriage in 1907. In 1904, her ideology, on education empowered her to start Daytona literacy and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls, where she served as the head of the school. To ensure gender equality, she combined Daytona with Cookman institute from Florida in the year 1923.
Activist and Advisor
In 1924, Bethune ventured into politics after being elected as the national leader of the Southeastern Federation of Women Clubs. As a leader, it was a significant achievement in her life, as, on many occasions, she could take part in government service, where she encouraged education for African Americans. Regularly, President Calvin Coolidge allowed her to attend the children's welfare conference. Also, Bethune took part in prominent roles in the public service commission after being appointed as a member of the committee on child health. In 1935, President Roosevelt appointed Bethune to be his advisor on minor affairs. As a personal advisor, Bethune was determined to start up her organization, which could fight for the civil rights of Negro women. In December 1935, she came up with the National Council of Negro, which represented censorious issues of African American women ( Stanford-Randle2017) . Later in 1936, Roosevelt appointed her to serve as the director of National youth administration. At this point, Bethune majorly focused on helping the youth and African Americans to secure jobs in the American government. Through hard work and dedication to the American government, she became a friend to Roosevelt's wife and a personal advisor.
Later Years and Legacy
Bethune spent most of her life not only on career affairs but also on social, economic issues affecting African American people. In 1945, she went to Washington D.C, where she lived for several years, helping the people realize the power of togetherness since blacks were considered part of the unprivileged lower class.
In her book, My Last Will and Testament, Bethune advocated for love, hope and faith. This book is considered a clear reflection of her life since she stressed that African-Americans should recognize that they are the heirs of a great civilization. Bethune stated that America should practice goodwill and give equal opportunity to everyone regardless of his or her race. Also, she recognized education as the only tool to acquire power. In 1955, Bethune died in Florida after retirement. She is considered one of the greatest women during her time and remembered for fighting for the rights of blacks in America.
In conclusion, the life of Bethune articulated many maxims, which society should learn. In her life, Bethune encouraged peace love and unity among the different races in America. Bethune nurtured the youth by stimulating their ambitions and participating in programs that benefit society in general. Several decades after her passing, her works continue to inspire several people in the United States and throughout the world.
References
Colleges, H. H. B. (2018). MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE’S FUNDRAISING SUCCESS. Models of Success: How Historically Black Colleges and Universities Survive the Economic Recession , 1.
Stanford-Randle, G. C. (2017). The Enigmatic" Cross-Over" Leadership Life of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955).
