Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune: A Life Devoted to Service

Kim Cliett Long,

Director of Distance Learning

Assistant Professor of Organizational Management,

Wiley College

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore and analyze the leadership traits of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, an African-American woman of history, using the servant leadership theory developed by Robert K. Greenberg and the ten characteristics of servant leadership as conceived by Larry C. Spears. This exploration seeks to identify the significant factors propelling her to lead and unearth the skills and practices she demonstrated in her roles as an educator, social justice and political leader, and activist. Though many works exist about the life of Bethune, this particular investigation analyzes specifically her leadership traits as she sought to advance racial equality and social justice, while also promoting interracial collaboration.

This historical analysis aligned with the contemporary leadership theory of servant leadership is expected to provide a framework of leadership, learning, and service for leaders seeking equitable social change in educational and political systems. Leaders will be able to examine the motivation, performance, sustainability, and legacy of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and relate these traits to their leadership and the influence of learning and service upon their work.

Introduction

At the age of four, my mother gave me a personally transformational book. Little Journeys into Storyland written by Louis B. Reynolds in 1949 was a compilation of inspirational and

moralistic tales targeted at African American children and illustrated with photographs of African American heroes and heroines, families and children, and short biographical sketches of prominent African Americans of that time period. As a child born in the American segregated deep South, this was my first recollection of positive and uplifting images and stories of people who looked like me. This book captivated me. My mother spent many hours reading these stories to me until I was able to read to myself. Although the book contained approximately forty stories and I enjoyed them all, my most favorite was ―Prayer for a School‖, the story of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. I was fascinated by her strong-will, persistence, and perseverance as she went about her quest of launching her school for African American girls. I decided then that I wanted to become a teacher just like her. I spent countless hours pretending to teach in my make believe school with my dolls as students. I never relinquished this goal as I entered higher education and thereby became an early childhood educator.

Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s life and example continue to rank high upon my list of historical and contemporary role models. As I formally studied various leadership theories, the distinctive qualities of Bethune’s life exemplified many of the characteristics of servant leadership.

The trait theory of leadership states that leaders often display certain characteristics that

make them successful. Historical leaders antecedent to contemporary leadership theory

demonstrated qualities that notably were predicated on strength of character, native skills and other constructive personality indicators. This essay will juxtapose the leadership characteristics displayed by Bethune using primary and secondary sources about her life and work with Robert K. Greenleaf’s theory of servant leadership and Larry Spears’ ten characteristics of servant leaders. Comparative analysis will provide a glimpse into Bethune’s leadership in contemporary servant leadership terms and further examine the innateness of leadership traits.

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