Mary McLeod Bethune 

If ever there was a visionary for our people, it was Mary McLeod Bethune. Born to
former slaves in South Carolina, she took the weight of their dreams and carried it with
her to Daytona Beach, Florida, where she built something that would stand for
generations: Bethune-Cookman College. Mary Bethune wasn’t just an educator—she
was a dreamer, and her dream was to empower Black men and women through
education, faith, and pride.

​

What Mary built in Daytona Beach wasn’t just a school; it was a foundation for Black
excellence. She understood that education was the key to freedom, and she made sure
our people had access to it. Her legacy reaches far beyond the walls of Bethune-
Cookman University. She advised U.S. presidents, led voter registration drives, and
fought for civil rights on every front. Mary’s vision was so vast, so powerful, that even
after her passing in 1955, her spirit still leads us. We walk in her footsteps every day.
Daytona Beach, and all of Florida, remains blessed by her work, her words, and her
unwavering belief in the power of education and the strength of the Black spirit. Mary
McLeod Bethune gave us wings, and her legacy continues to lift us toward freedom.