[1] 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.

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.

Mary McLeod Bethune (in script) This public art article is a stub.