Celebrating Mary McLeod Bethune

Mary McLeod Bethune was born in rural Sumter County, South Carolina in 1875. She was one of 17 children and the first child in her family to be born free. She was poor in possessions but rich in purpose, and would grow up to become a powerful voice in American history.

From a young age, Mary’s heart burned for God. When she was chosen to attend a Presbyterian mission school near her hometown, everything changed.

There, she learned to read the Bible and she made a promise to God, “If you open the messages of this book to me, I’ll teach my family and everyone I meet to know them too.”

That spark led her to seminary, and eventually she studied at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, training to be a missionary.

Mary taught in jails, Sunday schools, and on gospel caravans across the Dakotas, always with joy and resilience, even in the face of prejudice.

When she applied to serve as a missionary overseas, her application was denied, not because of her calling, but because of her color.

But Mary didn’t lose heart.

She redirected that missionary zeal to the American South.

In 1904, with just $1.50 and a few students, she opened a school for young girls in Daytona Beach, Florida. That school would become Bethune-Cookman University. But she didn’t stop there. Mary McLeod Bethune became a trusted advisor to U.S. presidents, a voice in the civil rights movement, and a champion for education, equality, and faith.

Today, Mary McLeod Bethune stands in the U.S. Capitol, honored with a statue, the first Black American to be so remembered, a reminder that one woman, armed with faith, courage, and a dream, can change the world.

Follow along this month on-air and online as we journey through history and celebrate the rich legacy of those who answered God’s call during Christian Heritage Month on BRIGHT-FM.