Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - African American leaders: Mary McLeod Bethune
Mary McLeod Bethune was an American activist, humanitarian, and--above all--an educator. Born on July 10, 1875 in South Carolina, Mary was the fifteenth of seventeen children. Her parents, Samuel and Patsy McLeod, were formerly enslaved, and most of her siblings had been born into slavery. As a child, she worked hard with her parents and siblings on their own farm. Her passion for education started at a young age when the granddaughter of her mother’s former owner snatched a book away from Mary, shaming her for not being able to read.
Source: pcusa.org
