By her own words and example, Mary McLeod Bethune, born on July 10, 1875, demonstrated the value of education, a philosophy of universal love, and the wise and consistent use of political power in striving for racial and gender equality. The 15th of 17 children of former slaves, Bethune grew up amidst poverty and oppression of the Reconstruction South, yet rose to prominence as an educator, presidential advisor, and political activist. Today, the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site preserves the house of Mary McLeod Bethune where she lived from 1943 to 1955. Bethune lived on the third floor, while the National Council of Negro Women occupied the first and second floors. The floor plan of the home remains unchanged from the days when Bethune lived there, and most of the furnishings are original to the home and owned by Bethune and the NCNW.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Image 1: Constructed in 1875, the row house at 1318 Vermont Avenue, NW, was used as the headquarters of The National Counc...