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LWVFL Lunch & Learn Series
Dr. Robertson Preston will joins us to discuss Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and her book "Mary McLeod Bethune in Florida: Bringing Social Justice to the Sunshine State" .
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune was a prominent Floridian, a visionary, influential educator, leader and civil rights activist who became one of our nation’s most notable figures. The college she founded set educational standards for today’s black colleges, and her role as an advisor to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave African Americans an advocate in government.
Dr. Robertson Peterson's book "Mary McLeod Bethune in Florida: Bringing Social Justice to the Sunshine State" chronicles the extraordinary life of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. Dr. McLeod Bethune was often called the "First Lady of Negro America," but she made significant contributions to the political climate of Florida as well. From the founding of the Daytona Literary and Industrial School for Training Negro Girls in 1904, Bethune galvanized African American women for change. She created an environment in Daytona Beach that, despite racial tension throughout the state, allowed Jackie Robinson to begin his journey to integrating Major League Baseball less than two miles away from her school.
Today, her legacy lives through a number of institutions, including Bethune-Cookman University and the Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation National Historic Landmark
Dr. Ashley Robertson Preston currently teaches in the African American Studies Program at the University of Florida She is the author of three books and her research interests include: African American women's involvement during World War II, the activism of Mary McLeod Bethune and the Black women's club movement.