Early Life
Mary McLeod Bethune was born on July 10, 1875, in Mayesville, South Carolina. She was the 15th of 17 children in a family of former slaves. Even though her family was poor, they valued education. Mary walked several miles each day to attend a one-room school, where she quickly learned to read and write. Education became her passion, and she believed it could change lives.
Education and Career
Mary attended Scotia Seminary in North Carolina and then Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. She dreamed of becoming a missionary in Africa, but that dream didn’t come true. Instead, she became an educator in the United States. In 1904, she started the Daytona Educational and Industrial School for Negro Girls in Florida. The school began with only five students and little money, but it grew into Bethune-Cookman University.
Leadership and Activism
Bethune worked hard to improve the lives of African Americans, especially women and children. She founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935 to fight for equality and opportunities. She believed in the power of women to lead and make change. Her leadership gained national attention, and she became a trusted advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Government Service and Legacy
During the 1930s and 1940s, Mary served as an advisor in the Roosevelt administration. She worked on programs to help African Americans during the Great Depression and supported civil rights. People called her “The First Lady of the Struggle” because of her fight for justice and education. Mary McLeod Bethune died on May 18, 1955, but her legacy lives on in schools, programs, and organizations named after her.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
2. Which detail best supports the idea that education was important to Mary’s family?
3. Why do people call Mary McLeod Bethune “The First Lady of the Struggle”?
4. How does the author show that Mary was determined to succeed despite challenges?
5. Which two sections of the passage show the greatest contrast in Mary’s life?
6. Which statement is an inference based on the passage?
7. Which sentence best summarizes Mary’s accomplishments?