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Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, right
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune addressing an audience at her birthday celebration
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune was never one to shy away from a challenge. As an African American woman living at the turn of the 19th century, Dr. Bethune faced a tremendous amount of adversity and setbacks, which she met with a fierce entrepreneurial spirit and a knack for innovative thought. To this day, her legacy resonates throughout the Daytona Beach area.
“ The spiritual and educational creed expressed in Dr. Bethune’ s life and in her‘ Last Will and Testament,’ reflect the core ideas that guide Daytona Beach,” said Mayor Derrick Henry.“ Her legacy challenges us to live out our values both individually and collectively. She serves as the moral compass that binds us together and inspires us to reach for our destiny.”
Although Dr. Bethune is best known as an educator, public figure in government, and Black women’ s club activist, she was also a successful businesswoman, who made a substantial impact on the economic success of early Daytona Beach. Her personal and financial investments not only laid a
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