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.
