Printed by: Bader Haj Abed Al Fattah

25 April 2022
Printed on: 25 April 2022

First Lady of the Struggle

Ready

Today's article spotlights Black educator and visionary Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. What is your opinion of
this statement by Dr. Bethune?

"The progress of the world will call for the best that all of us have to give."

Agree

Disagree

Explain why you voted the way you did.

We have the power to create happiness. And the world calls for us to use this inherent power to make life free and
beautiful, giving the best that we have to ourselves first, and then to others.
Read

RED BANK, New Jersey (Achieve3000, January 31, 2022). Where

others saw a dilapidated building, Mary McLeod Bethune envisioned
something noble. The rent for the property was $11 a month—she had
$1.50 which she handed to the owner as a down payment. Then the
young visionary began scouring Daytona, Florida, for cast-off materials
—a barrel for a desk, crates for chairs, and butcher paper to write on
using "pencils" made from charred wood. She was laying the
foundations for a great adventure, one that would ultimately touch the
lives of thousands.

In October 1904, Bethune's school for Black girls opened its doors to Photo credit: Library of Congress
five female students, plus Bethune's son, Albert. The tuition was 50
cents a week, and in two years, the boarding school had grown to serve Mary McLeod Bethune and her
students outside their school in
250 Black female scholars. Twenty years later, it had merged with
Daytona, Florida, in 1905. Dr.
another institution to become Bethune-Cookman College, with Dr. Mary Bethune became a national leader in
McLeod Bethune as its first president. the struggle for equal rights and
opportunities for Black Americans.
In the first half of the 20th century, Dr. Bethune proved herself an
inexorable force for enlightenment and equality, especially for Black women. It was a time when educational and
vocational opportunities for Black Americans were severely limited, along with Black students' civil rights. Dr.
Bethune used her considerable talents for organization and amity to change the social and political judgement on a
national level, earning herself the title "First Lady of the Struggle."

"As I Got, I Gave"

Mary McLeod was born in South Carolina in 1875, the youngest daughter of a formerly enslaved couple. Alongside
her siblings, she worked on their five-acre (2 hectare) farm, but her love for learning and teaching soon took
precedence. At age 7, she jumped at the chance to attend a newly opened school, walking five miles (eight
kilometers) each way. "The whole world opened to me when I learned to read," she said. Back home on Sundays,
she would share what she learned with other kids: "Poetry, reading, songs…. I would give to them as often as I got.
As I got, I gave."

Having completed her studies and training, and after a short-lived marriage to Albertus Bethune, the young female
teacher relocated to Daytona in 1904 and started her school for Black girls. She formed alliances with Black
churches and friendships with White benefactors to further the school's mission. However, her activism was not
without risk in the segregationist South. In 1922, her push to register Black women voters led to a march across
school grounds by a group notorious for racial terror.

"The Most Colossal Democratic Experiment"

During the 1920s, Dr. Bethune's reputation spread beyond Florida. As the country's first Black female college
president, she assumed leadership positions with national organizations. She also struck up friendships with Eleanor
Roosevelt and her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). This connection would take on new significance after FDR
was elected president in 1932.

In 1935, FDR asked Dr. Bethune to join his administration as Special Advisor to the National Youth Administration
(NYA). A year later, she was named Director of the NYA's "Division of Negro Affairs"—the first Black woman to helm
a federal agency. In these roles, she worked to ensure that Black youth could enroll in NYA programs and access
other government resources which had been denied them. Her work took on new urgency leading up to World War II
(1939–1945), when the contributions of Black women and men proved vital to the war effort. In many ways, Dr.
Bethune helped lay the groundwork for the steadfast civil rights movement that emerged soon after her death in
1955.

In honor of her lifelong role as "First Lady of the Struggle" for civil rights and Black empowerment, the state of Florida
will place a statue of Dr. Bethune in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall in 2022, making her the first Black person to
have a state-commissioned statue there. The towering marble figure portrays her gazing down in a cap and gown—
symbols of her enduring commitment to education and its transformative power.

"Education is the great American adventure," she once wrote, "the world's most colossal democratic experiment."

Think about and discuss these questions:

Dr. Bethune said, "As I got, I gave." What evidence can you find that she practiced this throughout her life?

What words would you use to describe Dr. Bethune? Why?

Click the links below to access even more Achieve3000 content about Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune's legacy.

A Fairer New Deal (/kb/lesson/preview/?lid=19426&step=11&c=1)

HBCUs: A Legacy of Black Excellence (/kb/lesson/preview/?lid=19809&step=11&c=1)

Dictionary

amity (noun)
   a peaceful relationship, especially between countries; friendship

dilapidated (adjective)
   in a state of disrepair, often as a result of neglect or age; run-down

inexorable (adjective)
   relentless; unending

precedence (noun)
   priority in time, order, or importance

segregationist (adjective)
   related to the use of laws to keep groups separate, especially in regard to race
Respond

PART 1

Question 1

Which best summarizes the first paragraph of the article?

  Bethune had to settle for a neglected building to house her first school.

  Bethune had insufficient funding for proper furniture or supplies for her students.

  Bethune spent all she had on a down payment for the school's rent for the first month.

  Bethune created a lasting impression on education despite starting with few resources.

Question 2
According to the article, which of these happened last?

This question asks about when events happened. It does not ask where in the article the events appear. Reread the
article for clues, such as dates.

  Bethune became the first president of Bethune-Cookman College.

  Bethune accepted a position at the National Youth Administration.

  Bethune worked to register Black women voters.

  Bethune opened a school for Black girls.

Question 3
Based on the article, the reader can infer that Mary McLeod Bethune __________.

  was not skilled at working with others

  was not daunted by adverse circumstances

  was reluctant to accept a leadership role in education

  was thwarted from having influence beyond her local community

Question 4
The article states:

"The whole world opened to me when I learned to read," [Bethune] said. Back home on Sundays, she would
share what she learned with other kids: "Poetry, reading, songs…. I would give to them as often as I got. As I
got, I gave."

Why did the author include this passage?

  To describe how Bethune began to develop her teaching methods

  To highlight that Sundays were Bethune's favorite day of the week

  To emphasize that Bethune used school to escape the drudgery of farming

  To illustrate that Bethune valued education from an early age

Question 5
Which is the closest synonym for the word inexorable, as it is used in the article?

  discontent

  persistent

  offensive

  exclusive

Question 6
What cause-and-effect relationship is described in this article?

  A notorious group's march across her school grounds caused Bethune to relocate to Daytona.

  A lack of resources led Bethune to seek funding from the National Youth Administration.

  Bethune's reputation at a national level led to a post in President Roosevelt's administration.

  Bethune's connections to Black churches and White benefactors allowed her to attend school.

Question 7
Suppose Jasmine wants to determine what courses of study are offered at Bethune-Cookman College. Jasmine would
find most of the information __________.

  in an encyclopedia entry about the college's founder, Mary McLeod Bethune

  on the website about academics at Bethune-Cookman College

  on a webpage listing famous graduates from Bethune-Cookman College

  in a book about historically Black colleges and universities

Question 8
Read this passage from the article:

She formed alliances with Black churches and friendships with White benefactors to further the school's
mission.

A benefactor is someone who helps others _______.

  take something for granted

  make something possible

  find something meaningful

  make something more regular

RESULTS

First Second
Activity
Try Try

 1. Which best summarizes the first paragraph of the article?

 2. According to the article, which of these happened last?

 3. Based on the article, the reader can infer that Mary McLeod Bethune __________.

 4. The article states:

"The whole world opened to me when I learned to read," [Bethune] said. Back
home on Sundays, she would share what she learned with other kids: "Poetry,
reading, songs…. I would give to them as often as I got. As I got, I gave."
Why did the author include this passage?

 5. Which is the closest synonym for the word inexorable, as it is used in the article?

 6. What cause-and-effect relationship is described in this article?

 7. Suppose Jasmine wants to determine what courses of study are offered at Bethune-
Cookman College. Jasmine would find most of the information __________.

 8. Read this passage from the article:

She formed alliances with Black churches and friendships with White benefactors
to further the school's mission.
A benefactor is someone who helps others _______.

Activity Score 63% 75%

Reflect

Now that you have read the article, indicate whether you agree or disagree with this statement.

"The progress of the world will call for the best that all of us have to give."

Agree

Disagree

Explain why you voted the way you did. Then read and respond to what others have to say.
Write

Dr. Bethune was known as the "First Lady of the Struggle." What were some of the struggles she engaged in, and to
what do you attribute her success? Cite evidence from the article to support your response. You may also use your own
reasoning.

The article discusses the details of Mary McLeod's life. It starts In October 1904, Bethune's school for Black girls
opened its doors to five female students, plus Bethune's son, Albert. In the first half of the 20th century, Dr. Bethune
proved herself an inexorable force for enlightenment and equality, especially for Black women. It was a time when
educational and vocational opportunities for Black Americans were severely limited, along with Black students' civil
rights. Having completed her studies and training, and after a short-lived marriage to Albertus Bethune, the young
female teacher relocated to Daytona in 1904 and started her school for Black girls. Her work took on new urgency
leading up to World War II when the contributions of Black women and men proved vital to the war effort.