Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial Donation Box

ca. 1962

The NCNW raised money to build a public monument of Mary McLeod Bethune.

The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) launched a campaign in 1960 to build a memorial to Mary McLeod Bethune. No public monument honoring a woman or an African American had ever been built in Washington, D.C. The NCNW raised funds from affiliated organizations, corporate partners, and community groups. It also distributed donation boxes like this one to collect coins from women across the country. Dedicated in 1974, the Bethune Memorial was a landmark achievement in recognizing Black women’s history.