Every year the Ledger-Enquirer attempts to recount the many citizens of the community who died over the 12 months and share their contributions to the Columbus area.
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.
Constantly underestimated, she risked her life and freedom to liberate others and was committed to building a political system that endowed women and people of color with the same rights as white men.
How Mary McLeod Bethune became the first Black woman selected to represent a state at the U S Capitol ufl.edu - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ufl.edu Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.