Mary McLeod Bethune was a prominent African American educator, civil rights leader, and government official in the early to mid-20th century. She was born in 1875 in South Carolina to parents who were formerly enslaved.

Bethune dedicated her life to advancing education and civil rights for African Americans. In 1904, she founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls in Florida, which later merged with an all-male institution to form the Bethune-Cookman College.

She was a close friend of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and served as the Director of the Division of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration, becoming the first African American woman to lead a federal agency. Bethune was also a founder of the National Council of Negro Women and served as its president.

Mary McLeod Bethune was a tireless advocate for racial and gender equality, and her legacy continues to inspire generations of African Americans and all Americans.