Community Day - Black Women: A Force for Change

“Women united...have moved mountains”  
Mary McLeod Bethune 

When Mary McLeod Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) in 1935, it became a powerful force for social change. Through its publications and programs, the NCNW has targeted a wide range of issues, including voting rights, international relations, education, employment, and health care. 

This Community Day event celebrates the legacy of renowned educator and reformer Mary McLeod Bethune (1875–1955) and other Black women social change agents, both past and present. 

Throughout the Museum, visitors will engage in various experiences inspired by Forces for Change: Mary McLeod Bethune and Black Women’s Activism: 

• In the Explore More! Gallery on L2, there will be art activations inspired by flowers associated with Mary McLeod Bethune and Sabrina Fulton, as well as writings of poets and playwrights featured in the exhibition. 


• On stage at Heritage Hall, Roz White will perform a cabaret honoring influential female artists. Additionally, students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts will present Spoken Word pieces inspired by great women.  


• On the Concourse Level, the Sweet Home Cafe will feature Sweet Potato Pie (available for purchase), inspired by the pies that Mrs. Bethune made and sold to raise funds for her school for Black girls, now Bethune-Cookman University in Florida. 


• A visit to Forces for Change: Mary McLeod Bethune and Black Women’s Activism on L3 is a must!