Black Leaders

Black leaders have been vital to making America strong.

George Washington Carver (ca. 1865-1943), Internationally Known Scientist and Educator

George Washington Carver was born into a slave family in Diamond Grove, Missouri. His father died in an accident shortly before his birth, and when he was still an infant, Carver and his mother were kidnapped by slave raiders who hoped to sell them for money.  George was rescued by a neighbor and returned to Moses and Susan Carver, the owners of the farm where his family had lived. His mother was never seen again.

George Washington Carver (ca. 1865-1943), Internationally Known Scientist and Educator Read More »

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955), Great Strides in Education and Civil Rights

  • Made great progress for African-Americans in the field of education and civil rights
  • Consultant to four presidents; most significantly FDR for establishing the Federal Council on Negro Affairs
  • First black leader and first woman to have a monument in a public park in Washington DC (1974)
  • In 1989, Ebony Magazine included Mary McLeod Bethune as one of 50 Most Important Figures in Black History

Mary McLeod Bethune was one of 17 children born to former slaves, Samuel and Patsy McLeod. The family lived in Mayesville, South Carolina, and growing up, Mary worked in the cotton fields along with the whole family.

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