Mary McLeod Bethune Council House

https://www.nps.gov/mamc/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_McLeod_Bethune_Council_House_National_Historic_Site The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site preserves the house of Mary McLeod Bethune, located in Northwest Washington, D.C., at 1318 Vermont Avenue NW. National Park Service rangers offer tours of the home, and a video about Bethune's life is shown. It is part of the Logan Circle Historic District. The site consists of a three-story Victorian townhouse and a two-story carriage house. Bethune made her home in the townhouse from 1943 to 1955, when she 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. Mary McLeod Bethune achieved her greatest recognition at the Washington, DC townhouse that is now this National Historic Site. The Council House was the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and was Bethune’s last home in Washington, DC. From here, Bethune and the NCNW spearheaded strategies and developed programs that advanced the interests of African American women. From Baltimore and Points North: Take the Baltimore-Washington Parkway south to US Route 50 west (which becomes New York Avenue). Take New York Avenue to Massachusetts Avenue and continue west. Turn right onto 13th Street. Go one block and turn left onto 'N' Street. Go another block and turn right onto Vermont Avenue. 1318 is one half block up the street on the left. Street parking is limited and restricted. Please read the street signs carefully. National Archives for Black Women's History The National Archives for Black Women's History (Located in Landover, MD, click on above title for details) documents the legacy of Mary McLeod Bethune. The archives collects materials about and illustrating Mary McLeod Bethune, the National Council of Negro Women, other African American women's organizations, and individuals associated with those organizations. The archives also documents the ongoing preservation and interpretation of the Bethune legacy. Researcher access is by appointment only. The Archives and its research facilities are located at a facility in Landover, Maryland. Access is by appointment only. Please contact NABWH_Archivist@nps.gov to obtain finding aids, registration forms, detailed directions, and to schedule appointments. Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site MAMC Bethune Council House in Spring time full bloom! Boardroom Conference Table Table with glass table top and wooden chairs Visitors can view original Boardroom Conference Table where Mary McLeod Bethune and NCNW members met and planned programs that affected African American women, their families, and communities. Parlor A room with ornate furniture, crystal chandelier, large mirror, and large portrait of Mrs. Bethune The Parlor was served as the setting where Mary McLeod Bethune and NCNW members entertained guests and foreign dignitaries, and also where seminars and other important meetings were held. President's Office A desk and chairs roped off with other furnishings and objects mounted on the walls This room served as the NCNW President's Office where meetings were held and business was conducted. Past meets present A historic photo of the parlor room is held up in front of the same view today. Walk the same rooms as Mrs. Bethune and the NCNW. Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site Mary McLeod Bethune Council House. African American Civil Rights Network Did You Know: Women and African Americans Could Vote in NJ before the 15th and 19th Amendments? The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, but some New Jersey women could vote as early as 1776. African Americans in the state could vote if they met the residency and property requirements. They lost these rights in 1807, only to fight to regain them. women carrying suffrage banners greet each other on the street. Photo @ Library of Congress Shaping the System under President George H.W. Bush President George H.W. Bush was an ardent supporter of the national parks. Explore some the parks that are part of the legacy of the presidency of George H.W. Bush, who served as the 41st president of the United States from January 20, 1989 to January 20, 1993. President George H.W. Bush shaking hands with a park ranger at the World War II Memorial National Park Getaway: Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site Tucked in a row of brick townhouses lining Vermont Avenue in Washington, DC, is a headquarters that played a pivotal role in advancing civil rights for African Americans and women. As furnishing and exhibits return to the house, the legacy of Mary McLeod Bethune, the National Council of Negro Women, and its many historic visitors remain within these walls and is felt outside of them. Ranger talking next to a sign of Mary McLeod Bethune Suffrage in 60 Seconds: African American Women and the Vote African American women often found themselves marginalized by both Black men and white women in the fight for equality. How did they ensure that their voices were heard? Ranger Titus has the story. Photo collage of several African American suffragists. Suffrage in 60 Seconds logo Explore DC’s national parks with a new, free app Navigate to popular destinations, get up-to-date information and discover lesser-known parks. With nearly 800 points of interest, the app includes the National Mall, President's Park, Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Wolf Trap, Arlington House, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Frederick Douglass NHS, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS, Carter G. Woodson NHS, and hundreds more. National Park Service logo with Washington Monument and other memorials. Using Their Voices: Founding Women of National Parks As we commemorate both the centennial of the 19th Amendment and the 104th birthday of the National Park Service, we’re highlighting a few women who harnessed their public voices to protect powerfully important American places. Mary McLeod Bethune, True Democracy, and the Fight for Universal Suffrage Mary McLeod Bethune -- educator, club woman, and stateswoman -- asserted the universality of equality in and through all things. Her contributions to the women’s suffrage movement were evident in her rhetoric challenging American society to become a true democracy, as well as in her utilization of institutional spaces to plan, strategize, and allocate resources. black and white portrait of bethune, seated. NMAH Series: On Their Shoulders: The Radical Stories of Women's Fight for the Vote These articles were originally published by the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC) as a part of the WSCC blog, The Suff Buffs. The Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission was created by Congress to commemorate 100 years of the 19th Amendment throughout 2020 and to ensure the untold stories of women’s battle for the ballot continue to inspire Americans for the next 100 years. In collaboration with the WSCC, the NPS is the forever home of these articles Logo of the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission Series: Suffrage in Sixty Seconds When was the last time you voted? For the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution enfranchising women, park rangers at the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument created these one-minute videos that highlight suffrage subjects and the heroes who made woman suffrage a reality—including those women who continued the fight for full enfranchisement beyond 1920. Alice Paul raises glass above ratification banner Sea Level Rise in the DC Area Learn about current and projected rates of sea level rise in the greater DC area, based on local water level data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) A tall white cylinder attached to a wooden pier with Hains Point in the background. National Parks Named in Honor of Women Women’s history is found in more than 400 national parks across the country and still being made today. National parks come in many different shapes, sizes, naming designations, and reasons for being created. Explore national parks that were created and named in honor of specific women and take a closer look at these women’s lasting legacy on American history. Bust of Alice Paul