Mary McLeod Bethune

1875-1955

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Determined to open a school for black children at the turn of the century, Bethune's fund-raising work brought her into contact with other social activists and influential people, including Eleanor Roosevelt. The small school in Florida, which she practically built with her own hands, eventually developed into Bethune-Cookman College, graduating hundreds of students a year. Bethune was appointed to a series of high-level government posts, including Advisor on Minority Affairs for the National Youth Administration, and was a founding member of President Roosevelt's unofficial "Black Cabinet." Bethune was founder and first president of the National Council Negro Women in 1935, and was an officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for five years.

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LESSON PLAN	Inventors & Trailblazers Students learn about 10 African Americans whose innovations directly impacted culture and society.
UNIT PLAN	Black History in America Students learn about the African-American experience through interviews, historical sketches, interactives, and lessons.
ONLINE ACTIVITY	Culture & Change: Black History in America Learn about African-American history with our collection of online activities that explore the lives of Rosa Parks, Melba Beals Pattillo, and...