BETHUNE ’ S LEGACY FUELS TODAY ’ S ENTREPRENEURS
by Dr . Michelle Carter
As a youngster growing up in Miami , Florida there was never any doubt that I would attend college . It was my parents ’ desire that I attend a college with a Christian tie . Though I practice the Episcopal faith , attending Bethune- Cookman College ( B-CC ), now Bethune-Cookman University , a United Methodist Church supported institution of higher learning , satisfied my parents . Amongst African Americans , Dr . Mary McLeod Bethune was revered .
From my first day on the campus of B-CC , the college ’ s mantra “ Enter to Learn and Depart to Serve ” was ever-present . As students we knew that this phrase was to be our guiding principle and we were encouraged to believe we could do anything we prepared ourselves to accomplish
I pursued a degree in business . This area of study gave me the option to work in the business sector , teach business subjects or both . Taking a cue from the college ’ s founder , I believed that if Mary Mcleod Bethune could accomplish what she did , not only as an educator and activist but as an entrepreneur and innovator in a time of segregation and racism , certainly I could achieve my goals .
In 1998 , along with my son , Vince Carter , I put my faith in the abilities my college experience instilled in me and the example set by Dr . Bethune to start a not-for-profit organization called the Embassy of Hope Foundation . Dr . Bethune ’ s legacy also informed my decision to open a restaurant in Daytona Beach with my son . Any hurdles or setbacks I encountered paled in comparison to the challenges she faced . And following her example to engage powerful people with her efforts , I found there were many people in the area willing to help me achieve my entrepreneurial goals .
Dr . Bethune was an innovator . She thought outside of the box and did not accept the status quo . She was a woman of great insight and seemed to ask why not instead of why . Who would have ever thought that a Black woman in the era of the 1930-1950s would dare to boldly advocate for better healthcare services for Black children or for voting and women ’ s rights or be a political activist ?
Who could have fathomed that such a woman could be an advisor to a sitting President of the United States , be the cofounder of the United Negro College Fund or fight for women to be given opportunities to join the military ?
Dr . Bethune had the audacity to believe that African American boys and girls should have the opportunity to be educated , just like other children that didn ’ t look like them , because she knew education developed the head , the heart and the hand .
The unveiling of the Dr . Mary McLeod Bethune statues , both in Daytona Beach and in the National Statuary Hall in the U . S . Capitol , will be dynamic , unifying and historic , not only for the greater Daytona Beach community but also for Florida and the United States .
As a member of the Dr . Mary McLeod Bethune Statuary Fund , Inc . Board of Directors , I have been inspired to continue to make a positive impact wherever I can . Not only have we raised the necessary funds for the marble statue to be unveiled in Washington , D . C ., but we also continued to dream big and have done the work for a bronze statue to be presented in the Riverfront Esplanade Park in downtown Daytona Beach , where Mother Mary will face westward as if to watch over her beloved Bethune-Cookman University .
It is my hope that as we revisit the accomplishments of Dr . Mary McLeod Bethune , it will be a catalyst to spur unity in this country , and even in the world . She made it her life ’ s work to bring people together in many genres .
As one of “ Mary ’ s Babies ,” I hope that I have made her proud for I have attempted to serve my community by sharing my resources -- time , knowledge , experiences and money -- where I saw there was a need . Dr .
| 14 | EVOLVE BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE