Born in 1873 as the first free child in a family of former slaves, Mary McLeod Bethune would become an adviser to American presidents, an important civil rights leader, and founder of what is now Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Through the recollections of Mary McLeod Bethune and those closest to her, Nancy Ann Zrinyi Long has created an engaging biography of an influential and inspirational educator and activist.

This book is easy and interesting reading. It presents the “Life and Legacy” of the late Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune holistically and concludes with testimonies from living witnesses. The author narrates Dr. Bethune’s early years and documents how developments in those years influenced her later accomplishments. Permeating Dr. Bethune’s spectacular career is a philosophy based on deep religious convictions and held that “work was honorable, no matter how menial the task.
- Dr. Oswald P. Bronson President of Bethune-Cookman College, July 19, 2004