SCDE Launches New Series Honoring Historic South Carolinians

The stories of South Carolina heroes and history makers are coming to state classrooms, starting with the remarkable Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, a trailblazing educator and civil rights leader.
 
State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver visited Dr. Bethune’s birthplace in Mayesville,
South Carolina, this morning to celebrate Bethune’s 150th birthday. To help mark the special day, Weaver unveiled a new series of instructional materials that will shine the spotlight on remarkable South Carolinians like Dr. Bethune.
 
“Mary McLeod Bethune was an education entrepreneur who dared to dream of a better future. But she didn’t just dream; she acted – often at great personal risk and expense,” Weaver said. “Yet she persevered because she understood the power of education to change lives and open the world. She opened the doors of educational and employment opportunity for many, especially young African American women who had long been denied. Her story of achievement, determination, and hope sets a pioneering example for South Carolina students to follow, today and for generations to come.”
 

Dr. Bethune is the first to be featured in the South Carolina Department of Education’s Palmetto Civics Project “Palmetto Pioneer” series.
 
Designed to educate and inspire, these materials will be made available to educators in classrooms across our state, bringing to life for students the remarkable stories and legacies of groundbreaking South Carolinians. The goal is to foster a deeper appreciation for and knowledge of South Carolina’s rich heritage.
 
This supplementary instructional material will be provided to schools at no cost.