On January 10, 1936, Mary McLeod Bethune became the highest ranking African American woman in government when President Franklin Roosevelt named her director of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration, where she remained until 1944. She was also a leader of FDR’s unofficial “black cabinet.”
Bethune was a pioneering figure in education and civil rights, and her appointment marked a significant moment in the history of Black women’s involvement in government and national policy. As a trusted advisor to FDR, she used her position to fight for the rights of Black youth and pushed for greater access to educational opportunities for African Americans.
Bethune’s work with the NYA and her establishment of the Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, where she had been the president for many years, helped empower generations of Black students and served as a symbol of Black excellence in education.
Her legacy continues to inspire today, as she is remembered for her deep commitment to equality, her fight for social change, and her leadership in both the civil rights and educational realms.
