The Mediator, Mary McLeod Bethune
For centuries, black people have relied on faith in Christ to persevere through racism and oppression. Our pedigree is packed with Christians who embodied anti-racism. The first statue in our nation’s Capitol of a black person was that of a God-fearing black woman. Her name was Mary McLeod Bethune. She, for sure, is deserving of this honor. Our good sis personified the qualities of advocacy and endurance, and used them for the betterment of the black community and our nation as a whole.
A Faith-filled Educator
In 1875, Mary McLeod Bethune was the 15th of 17 children born to former slaves. Having been freed after the Civil War, her parents saved enough money to grow crops on their own land. As members of the Methodist denomination, they taught biblical principles to their children at an early age. As a child, she walked five miles to Trinity Presbyterian Missionary School, only to come home and teach her family the lessons she learned.
Bethune’s bright mind earned her a scholarship to Scotia Seminary for Girls and, later, the Moody Bible Institute. Upon graduating, Bethune expressed a desire to pursue missionary work in Africa. However, she was told that there was no place for her as an African American to serve as a missionary in Africa (it's the irony for me). Instead of despairing, Bethune resolved the mission field was right where she stood. Black people all around her needed both Christ and a quality education.
With five students and $1.50, Bethune launched a school for black girls that later become known as Bethune Cookman College, located in Daytona Beach, FL. There, she invested her life in educating young black girls who, in the late 1800s, were Jesus’ definition of the least of these. The ceilings were low and made of cement. Bethune did whatever she could to raise money for the education and upward mobility of these women. From door to door, she went to solicit financial gifts for her cause. And in 1911, after her students were denied care at a white hospital, Saint Mary even went as far as to build a hospital to ensure they received equitable and competent care.
A Faith-filled Mediator
A true missionary, Bethune’s life and legacy preached to the world that black people are indeed made in the image of God. Because she believed this, she worked tirelessly for their advancement and fair treatment. For the rest of her days, Bethune lived in obedience to God through advocacy. As a political figure, she leveraged her relationships with national leadership to stand in the gaps as a mediator for Black people. Bethune served on President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “black cabinet,” an opportunity that arose from her friendship with his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt. There, she was able to advise national leaders on the issues of black people in efforts to create positive change. Through her mediation, Bethune fought to ensure the Red Cross was integrated, giving black people the same types of responsibilities within the organization as white people.
Bethune always advocated for Black women. She was a member of the board that created the Women’s Army Corp to see to it that black women were trained to be military officers. Bethune was the founder of the National Council of Negro Women, which “advocated for, and empowered women of African descent.” Additionally, she was an early member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), serving as its Vice President from 1942 to the day she died.
A Faith-filled Model to Follow
Mother Mary lived a full life. Her resume is extensive and proves how she poured herself out for others. However, it was her faith, and not a mere desire to be on the right side of history, that spurred her on to do the unimaginable for black women and men. In her work, The Last Will and Testament, she writes, “Faith is the first factor in a life devoted to service. Without faith, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible.”
Consider these four key principles we can learn from her faith-filled life:
Leverage What You Have: Whatever you have, God can use it for his glory and for the good of others. He doesn’t require much beyond our obedience to accomplish his purpose in our lives and in the world. The fact that Auntie Mary started a school with $1.50 is proof that God can do a lot with a little! Bethune recalls, “I plunged into the job of creating something from nothing...Though I hadn't a penny left, I considered cash money as the smallest part of my resources. I had faith in a living God, faith in myself, and a desire to serve.” What’s in your hand that you can leverage for the glory of God and the good of others?
Be a Mediator: The gaps Bethune filled were vast. The favor she had with others gained her a seat at the tables of CEOs and advising in the ears of presidents. Her character and giftings took her to places of influence. When she got to those tables, she carried the voices of Black people to places they would never go otherwise. As a true mediator, Bethune imaged Christ by going between her community and those in power to create beneficial change. We need mediators, like Bethune, who are willing to use their position of influence for the welfare of others. Where has God strategically placed you to mediate for others?
Educate the Marginalized: Education of black girls is anti-racist work. In Bethune’s context, girls were not on the priority list for schooling. Let alone, Black girls. Today, Black women are still one of the most underestimated and overlooked groups of people in the United States. Yet, Bethune knew their minds and hands were just as capable as anyone else. We still need those who will look at the ones whom society deems the least and decide to teach them. Yeah, we definitely still need that.
Persevere: We also still need faithful black leaders. Mary McLeod Bethune seemed to have never flinched. In the face of an unmet dream. In the face of racist and misogynist culture. When finances were low. The more frustrations she encountered, God seemed to answer her even deeper. Are you discouraged? Following Jesus rarely ever looks exactly the way we thought. As we as activists, we could stand to remember that God is the one who started the work of justice and reconciliation, and he is the one who will finish it. To seek the will of God is right and good. To want to please him as we fight against injustice is right and good. But when the fight gets hard, let us not forget that God is the one who is both author and finisher of our faith. He will complete the work he started before time began. Like Sister Mary, we can believe that God is doing just that, even in the unknown and unseen.
Written by: Anteneshia Saunders
Bio: Anteneshia is from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and currently lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina. She graduated from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Masters in Ministry to Women. Anteneshia prides herself in being a contemporary Church Mother. Her muses include her family and friends and “grace in place of grace already given (John 1:16).