| Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Robert Berks |
| Type | Bronze |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′23″N 76°59′20″W / 38.889722°N 76.988889°W / 38.889722; -76.988889 |
| Owner | National Park Service |
Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial is a bronze statue honoring educator and activist Mary McLeod Bethune, by Robert Berks.
The monument is the first statue erected on public land in Washington, D.C. to honor an African American and a woman. The statue features an elderly Mrs. Bethune handing a copy of her legacy to two young black children. Mrs. Bethune is supporting herself by a cane given to her by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The statue was unveiled on the anniversary of her 99th birthday, July 10, 1974, before a crowd of over 18,000 people. The funds for the monument were raised by the National Council of Negro Women, the organization Mrs. Bethune founded in 1935.
It is located in Lincoln Park, at East Capitol Street and 12th Street N.E. Washington, D.C.
The inscription reads:
(Front bottom of Bethune's dress:)
(copyright symbol)
73
Berks
(Front of base:)
MARY McLEOD BETHUNE
1875 1955
(Front of base, in script:)
Let her works praise her
(Bronze plaque, front of base:)
ERECTED
JULY 10, 1974
BY THE
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEGRO WOMEN, INC.
DOROTHY I. HEIGHT
PRESIDENT
(Bronze plaque running around sides of base:)
I LEAVE YOU LOVE. I LEAVE YOU HOPE. I LEAVE YOU THE CHALLENGE OF DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE IN ONE ANOTHER. I LEAVE YOU A THIRST FOR EDUCATION. I LEAVE YOU A RESPECT FOR THE USE OF POWER. I LEAVE YOU FAITH. I LEAVE YOU RACIAL DIGNITY. I LEAVE YOU A DESIRE TO LIVE HARMONIOUSLY WITH YOUR FELLOW MEN. I LEAVE YOU FINALLY, A RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
Mary McLeod Bethune (in script)
See also
- List of public art in Washington, D.C., Ward 6
- Statue of Mary McLeod Bethune (Jersey City)
- Statue of Mary McLeod Bethune (U.S. Capitol)
References
- "Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial, (sculpture)". SIRIS
- "Lincoln Park - Capitol Hill Parks (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
- "BETHUNE, Mary McLeod: Memorial at Lincoln Park in Washington, D.C. by Robert Berks located in James M. Goode's Capitol Hill area". Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
External links
- "Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial"
- "Statue of Mary MacLeod Bethune (Washington D.C. (District of Columbia))", wikimapia
- "The Mary Mcleod Bethune Emancipation Memorial"
- Robert Pohl (July 7, 2009). "Anniversary events this week for Mary McLeod Bethune statue in Lincoln Park". The Hill is Home.
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- Mary McLeod Bethune
- 1974 sculptures
- Artworks in the collection of the National Park Service
- Bronze sculptures in Washington, D.C.
- Capitol Hill
- Monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.
- National Council of Negro Women
- Outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C.
- Sculptures of African Americans
- Sculptures of women in Washington, D.C.
- Statues in Washington, D.C.
- Public art stubs