Dr. Evelyn Bethune "In the Spirit of Dr. Bethune" Company: Bethune Publishing Location: Daytona Beach, FL Website: www.marymcleodbethune1875.com

Biography:
Dr. Evelyn Bethune is an original Floridian, transplanted in Houston, Texas now for three years. She is the granddaughter of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, educator, activist, advisor to three United States Presidents, community care giver and international peace advocate. Bethune grew up in an environment that demanded awareness of world issues and participation in the solution to these issues.

Dr. Bethune is a political scientist and a community activist. Her dedication to the community led her to Atlanta, Georgia in order to continue her work as a Missionary for the Pan African Orthodox Christian Church (The Shrine of the Black Madonna) on Martin Luther King and Griggs. The church has been a part of the Houston community for 38 years.

She has two adult daughters and a 17 year old grandson. Most of the Bethune family resides in Florida or Georgia and they tend to be very community oriented. Dr. Evelyn Bethune’s background includes professional experience as a Budget Planner for IBM in the manufacturing of the PC in Boca Raton, Florida, Auditor for the Department of Insurance, State of Florida, Revenue Agent for the Department of Revenue in the State of Florida, and CEO for The Mary McLeod Bethune Family Legacy Foundation, Inc.

Dr. Bethune is a member of the NAACP, National Council of Negro Women, N’COBRA and many professional development organizations. She earned a Bachelors degree in Accounting and Finance, Masters in Finance, Masters in Political Science/American Government and PhD in Political Science/American Government. Evelyn’s passion is teaching and building coalitions between groups that struggle alone but prosper together.

Attend seminars with Dr. Evelyn Bethune and learn about personal development and self esteem building as it relates to solid economics and community service. The workshops are on the power of networking, public speaking, finding your purpose and activating it. Additionally, Dr. Bethune speaks on education, politics, grassroots community activism and the importance of exposing young people to community service, professional development, small business development in the urban communities, women and economic development, etc.

A Word from Dr. Evelyn Bethune
It is my hope I can help to strengthen my community, build a better understanding of the power of technology and begin to place in our young people a clear understanding of how critical it is to have outlets for free speech and diverse introspection of all the issues.

Like most relatives of famous people, the grandchildren of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune are often asked what it is like to be related to someone so well known. For me, the answer has never been an easy one. My grandmother was far ahead of her time in her vision, focus, and ability to lead our people. She placed the well being of the people far ahead of any ideas of self. Growing up in her shadow was sometimes the hardest aspect of my life and other times the most rewarding. I have learned patience as well as how to forgive. My faith has gone from a surface requirement to a deep connection with God that allows me to truly be at peace even in the midst of great difficulty. Throughout this life experience however, we were blessed with parents who taught us by example to give to others, to share no matter how little we might have, to love deeply and to trust God.

I can remember the sound of my grandmother’s voice as she told stories to the neighborhood children at story hour on Saturday mornings. I can also remember the gentleness of her touch as she would sit me on her lap to simple be my grandmother. The smells of her house and love for family are a part of the comfort that comes in the memories.

Years after my grandmother passed away, I also have other memories of sitting in the darkness of our house, because the lights had been turned off, looking out of the window of my parents bedroom at the lights of the college, the president's house, the dining hall, and science building, and wondering why everyone seemed to benefit from the work of my grandmother and my daddy, except for our family.

When our lights would get turned off because my parents could only stretch their resources so far, we didn't understand how there could be so much and yet so little. When my father was forced to retire on a $50 a month pension, from the college to which he had given his life, in order to help his mother realize her dream of providing an education for the descendants of the enslaved Africans, we did not understand. A college that carried his last name, Bethune-Cookman College, where he had sold magnolia blossoms to tourists to help fund its growth, made ink from elderberries, raised chickens for food and grew vegetables. Yet the very institution that should have nurtured the descendants of its founder, pushed them away like unwelcomed step children.

How do you come to a place of peace in your very soul when you see the legacy left to you being stolen away? The journey to the answer is a true tale of God at Work. It is the story of Mary's Grandbabies...out of the darkness of slavery into the light of freedom. You see, one does not always have to have a visible shackle to be enslaved. Sometimes the enslavement comes through fear and anger. This is the true story of coming out of that darkness into the light of freedom. It is a story of love and family and how the strength of our ancestors is with us and guides us to the restoration of stolen legacies.

This is the story of how to never give up, even in the face of what seems like insurmountable obstacles. Never give up, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, ever.

Availability:
Available to speak to all organizations and workshops.