This New Washington, D.C., Exhibit Honors an Iconic Female Civil Rights Activist — What to Know

Mary McLeod Bethune's legacy has deep roots in championing racial and gender equality, as she was one of the most prominent educators, civil rights leaders, and government officials of the 20th century. Now, a new permanent museum exhibit is honoring her many contributions to society.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., unveiled “Force for Change: Mary McLeod Bethune and Black Women’s Activism" last month. Visitors can gain further insights into Bethune’s legacy, her organizations, and the lives of other African American women activists.

Born in South Carolina in 1875, Bethune was one of 17 children born to formerly enslaved parents. After completing her studies at Scotia Seminary and the Bible Institute for Home and Foreign Missions, she worked as an educator in Georgia and South Carolina.

In 1904, she established the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls. Her vision and perseverance led to significant growth for the institution, eventually merging with the all-male Cookman Institute to form Bethune-Cookman College in 1929. The college awarded its first degrees in 1943.

But Bethune's influence extended beyond education. In 1924, she was elected president of the National Association of Colored Women. Her commitment to advancing the rights of African American women continued as the founding president of the National Council of Negro Women in 1935.

A friend of Eleanor Roosevelt, Bethune became the highest-ranking African American woman in government when then-president Franklin D. Roosevelt named her director of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration, a position she served in from 1936 to 1944.

In 1940, she became the vice president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons, a position she held for the rest of her life. She died in 1955 and is buried on a mound overlooking Bethune-Cookman University.

The new exhibit highlights Bethune’s life and new stories relating to other Black women activists through 35 objects, 75 images, and two digital media pieces. Among the items featured are the climbing gear worn by Bree Newsome, who took down the Confederate flag outside the South Carolina State House in 2015, and Etta Moten Barnett’s ornately carved desk, which includes passports and convention badges used in her travels as an unofficial U.S. diplomat.

“Against incalculable odds, the women featured in this exhibition built institutions of learning, ignited social and political movements, formed enduring organizations, and created beauty in multifarious art forms, all the while representing their country nationally and internationally,” Tulani Salahu-Din, NMAAHC’s museum specialist, language and literature, said in a statement obtained by Travel + Leisure.

Bethune’s footprints can be seen all over Washington, D.C. The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House, Bethune’s last Washington, D.C., residence and the place where she founded the National Council of Negro Women, is now a National Historic Site. The council house is a leisurely walk from the heart of the historically African American U Street neighborhood, home to numerous Black-owned businesses, including the iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl and modern Caribbean restaurant, St. James.