Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955 The teacher who tamed the Klan

Mary was an American educator , stateswoman, philanthropist, humanitarian, womanist and civil rights activist.

Whilst she was studying at the Moody Bible Institute she felt clear call to mission service in Africa. She was rejected - no openings for a black missionary in Africa - her major disappointment.

She taught for a while in Georgia and then returned to South Carolina. She met and married Albertus Bethune. In 1899 they opened a mission school.

In 1904 Mary met a traveling Methodist minister who told her about the terrible conditions in Daytona working on the railways. She was up to the challenge and the same year, on October 4th, she opened a new school. She then, for a few dollars down, bought an abandoned garbage dump and turned it into a school. It became the permanent site for the Daytona Beach Literacy and Industrial School for Negro girls. Within 2 years she had 250 female students.

Mary developed extraordinary fund raising skills. John D. Rockefeller, the oil magnate was a major benefactor.

As the school grew Mary’s greatest challenge was the Ku Klux Klan
In 1920 Mary led a spirited vote registration drive that promoted Klan harassment. The stage was set for showdown between Mary and the Klan on the night before the mayoral election. Mary and her female pupils were ready.
(Read ’ Quit running ')
The election the next day the black voters waited patiently until all the white voters had cast their votes -the Klan endorsed candidate lost.

By 1929 the school had been renamed Bethune-Cookman College.

After this she turned her attention to black womens civil groups. (read ’ Civic Groups’ )

Resources used
wikipedia
Britannica online Encyclopedia
Ambassadors for Christ contribution from Harold ivan Smith.