Legacy of Leadership: How Mary McLeod Bethune’s Advocacy for Students Transformed Higher Education
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Abstract
Mary McLeod Bethune was a pivotal figure in American higher education whose leadership expanded access for Black students during an era of intense racial segregation and limited educational opportunity. This paper examines the strategies Bethune employed to create pathways to higher education for African Americans and considers how those strategies inform contemporary student affairs practice. Drawing on close analysis of primary sources, including Bethune’s 1955 Last Will and Testament, her public appeals for institutional funding, and her federal advocacy during the New Deal era, this study highlights Bethune’s approach to institution-building, community-based and philanthropic fundraising, holistic education, and policy engagement. Situating Bethune within the broader context of Black women’s educational leadership in the early twentieth century, the paper argues that her work represents an early blueprint for equity-centered student affairs. By bridging historical analysis with contemporary practice, this study demonstrates how Bethune’s legacy continues to inform modern efforts related to access, belonging, community engagement, and social justice in higher education.
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