Mary McLeod Bethune

Hello, my name is Mary McLeod Bethune, and I want to tell you how a little girl who worked in the cotton fields grew up to advise a president. I was born on July 10th, 1875, in a small log cabin in South Carolina. My parents had once been enslaved, and I was one of their seventeen children. Life was hard, and from a young age, I worked alongside my family picking cotton under the hot sun. But even as my hands were busy, my mind was dreaming of something more. I dreamed of learning to read and write. I wanted to understand the words in the books that I saw. One day, I picked up a book, and a child told me I couldn't because I was Black and didn't know how to read. That moment made my desire to learn burn even brighter. I knew I had to go to school. My chance finally came around the year 1886, when a new school for Black children opened miles away from my home. My family could only afford to send one child, and they chose me. I walked to school every day, feeling so proud and excited to finally unlock the magic of words.

After I finished my own schooling, I knew my life's mission was to help others get the education I had dreamed of for so long. I became a teacher, but I had an even bigger dream. In 1904, I moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, determined to open my own school for African American girls. It seemed like an impossible task. I arrived with only $1.50 in my pocket, but I had a heart full of faith. I found a small house to rent and got to work. We didn't have much money for supplies, so we had to be creative. We used burnt pieces of wood as pencils and used old crates for desks and chairs. To raise money, my first students and I baked and sold sweet potato pies to local workers. On October 3rd, 1904, I officially opened the doors to the Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls. My first class had just five little girls, but it was a start. We worked hard, learned together, and slowly, our little school began to grow through faith and determination.

Our small school grew bigger and more successful than I ever could have imagined. In 1923, we joined with a school for boys and became Bethune-Cookman College. I was so proud to serve as its president. I saw how education could change lives, but I also knew that my people faced many other challenges. I realized that getting an education wasn't enough if we didn't also have equal rights. So, I started to use my voice to fight for justice. My work became known across the country, and in the 1930s, I was asked to be an advisor to the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt. I helped him understand the issues that were important to African Americans. To make sure our voices were heard loud and clear, I knew we had to work together. On December 5th, 1935, I founded the National Council of Negro Women. This organization brought together many different groups to work for civil rights and a better future for everyone.

Looking back on my life, I see a long journey from the cotton fields of South Carolina to the halls of the White House. It was a life filled with purpose. I lived to be 79 years old, and I spent every moment I could working for others. My greatest hope was to leave behind a legacy of love, hope, and a deep desire for education for all people, no matter the color of their skin. The school I started with just $1.50 is now a university that continues to teach new generations of students. I hope people remember me for my belief that with faith in yourself and hard work, you can turn any dream into a reality.