Mary McLeod Bethune: The First Lady of the Struggle

Mary Jane McLeod (1875-1955) was the fifteenth of seventeen children born to former slaves, Sam and Patsy McLeod, on their farm in South Carolina where they raised cotton and rice. Her mother did the laundry for several white families. She would take Mary with her, and, in some homes, she was allowed to play with the white children. It was during one of these times that an incident occurred that would shape Mary’s future.

She was invited into a nursery of a white child who wanted her to play with her toys. Mary saw some books, took one, and opened it. The white child snatched it from her saying she didn’t know how to read. At that point, Mary determined the biggest difference between white children and black children was the ability to read, and she became inspired to learn.

Self Image: What It Is and How to Change It

"Our self image, strongly held, essentially determines what we become." - Maxwell Maltz

Who are you? You have a name. You have been given numbers to prove your identity. There are scores attached to those names and numbers that tell others about your credit and character. Most people have job titles and nicknames. While each of these tell something about who we are to other people, even collectively they don't tell us who we are. That is because each of these identifying factors are external.

Schools: Why Don’t They Teach That Anymore?

Remember when parents used to complain about schools not teaching the proper way to drag things as they ought to just in case the wheel was merely a passing fad?

How about when they complained about children not learning how to read hieroglyphics, how to use an abucus, or the proper way to milk the family’s cow?