Mary McLeod Bethune Is First Black Person With Commissioned Statue In US Capitol

In a heartening dedication ceremony at the US Capitol, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi unveiled the statue of civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune in place of a confederate monument, making her the first Black person to have a state-commissioned statue inducted into the Statuary Hall. 

“It’s a privilege for all of us to pay tribute to Mary McLeod Bethune: an unyielding force for racial justice, a pioneering voice for gender equity—at that time, imagine—and a devoted advocate for education,” remarked Speaker Pelosi. 

Born to parents who were formerly enslaved, Bethune had made “opening doors of opportunity to more Americans” the core mission of her life, calling on the country to “invest in the human soul.” 

Bethune established a boarding school, currently the Bethune-Cookman University, and registered women to vote following the ratification of the 19th Amendment, holding what was, back then, the highest rank for a Black official under President Franklin Roosevelt. 

Now, within the Statuary Hall, her statue, created by Nilda Comas, who broke yet another barrier as the first Hispanic artist with a piece featured in the Capitol, stands alongside a seated Rosa Parks. 

“We ensure that young people, all young people, but especially young black women, girls … and they see a reflection of our nation’s beautiful diversity, beautiful success, and greater possibilities for them in the future,” summed up the Speaker.

As Speaker of the House, it was my privilege to celebrate Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune: an unyielding force for racial justice, a pioneering voice for gender equity and a devoted advocate for education. pic.twitter.com/YQhaohyuMe

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 14, 2022

[via NPR and Speaker of the House, cover image via Nancy Pelosi]