ON THIS DAY… Installation of The Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Statue Celebrated at The United Methodist Building
On July 13, 2022, the historic congressional ceremony in Statuary Hall was broadcast live to an audience in the large session room at the United Methodist Building.
On This Day, July 13, 2022, Susan Henry-Crowe, General Secretary of the General Board of Church and Society, hosted a group of GBCS Board Members, UMC Agency General Secretaries, and Representatives from UMC Annual Conferences to witness the livestream and celebrate the historic installation ceremony of the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune statue in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol.
“To have her statue here is quite phenomenal, absolutely, as a reminder of what our democracy is about,” said granddaughter Evelyn Bethune.
The Rev. Dr. Sharon Austin, a native of Florida, Secretary of the Board of Directors for Church and Society and clergy member of the Florida Annual Conference, attended the congressional ceremony in Statuary Hall and helped to organize The United Methodist Building event with leadership from Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Statuary Hall is home to 100 statues of influential figures in American history, with each state contributing two statues for the display. The unveiling of the Dr. Bethune statue was a monumental step in history commemorating the world-renowned advisor, educator and activist from Florida, making her the first Black person selected by a state for National Statuary Hall, (Frederick Douglas was selected by Washington, D.C. and Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were all selected by Congress).
The Bethune statue replaced Floridian Edmund Kirby Smith, who was the last Confederate General to surrender after the civil war. His bronze statue was a gift from Florida, installed in 1922 and removed in 2021. “How poetic,” said Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi during her remarks at the congressional ceremony. “Dr. Bethune replaces a little-known Confederate General… trading a traitor for a civil rights hero in the Capitol of the United States.”
Born in 1875 in Mayesville, South Carolina to former slaves, Dr. Bethune used the power of education, political activism, and civil service to fight for racial and gender equality. In 1904, she founded the Methodist school for African American girls in Florida which eventually became Bethune-Cookman University. Dr. Bethune served as President for over 40 years. Her commitment to high standards of education and establishing adequate funding for the university were core to her professional life.
In 1936, Dr. Bethune became an advisor to President Roosevelt and was the highest ranking African American woman in federal government when he appointed her to direct a division of the National Youth Administration. Her work also included serving as a counselor on child welfare and as an advisor regarding issues facing African Americans. In 1935, she had founded the National Council of Negro Women and served as the vice-president of the NAACP for 15 years.
Dr. Bethune’s statue was crafted by Nilda Comas, the first Hispanic American woman to sculpt a piece for Statuary Hall.
The statue of Bethune is intended to embody her passion for education and admiration for people. The sculpture depicts Bethune with a stack of books, a graduation cap and gown, a cane, a black rose and a gentle smile.
She is standing atop a marble slab engraved with the state of Florida, her full name, her birth and death dates and a familiar quote of hers that captures her essence: “Invest in the human soul, who knows, it may be a diamond in the rough.”
- Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, 1875 - 1955
United Methodist Building Anniversary Resources
To watch four new United Methodist Building video shorts “Celebrating 100 Years of Social Witness,” and for information on the year of celebration click here.
To purchase the 2024 United Methodist Building historical book written by Dr. Jessica M. Smith, For Justice and Enduring Peace: One Hundred Years of Social Witness, visit Cokesbury Publishing.
ON THIS DAY SERIES… Each month in 2024, Church and Society will highlight notable days offering glimpses into the momentous 100-year history of the United Methodist Building and the people called Methodists often walking along side ecumenical partners living their faith through social witness.
