Statue of Mary McLeod Bethune (Jersey City)
The statue of Mary McLeod Bethune in Jersey City, New Jersey is located in the Greenville section. It honors the educator and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune (1875 – 1955).[1]
| Statue of Mary McLeod Bethune | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Alvin Petit |
| Year | 2021 |
| Type | Bronze |
| Dimensions | 9 ft (2.7 m) (height) |
| Location | Greenville Jersey City, New Jersey |
It was dedicated on November 22, 2021 and marked the completion of the namesake Bethune Park, which opened in August 2021,[2][3] and is opposite the Bethune Center on Martin Luther King Drive. The bronze 9 feet (2.7 m) tall statue on a 2.5 feet (0.76 m) marble pedestal is inspired by Bethune in her late 20s to early 30s.[4]
The statue was designed by Alvin Petit who said of the work: “As a broader significance, this also plays a role in linking our City with a national movement to erect monuments that symbolize diversity and inclusiveness. This will be the first statue in Jersey City to honor the legacy of an African American woman.”[5][6]
The inscription reads:
DR. MARY McCLEOD BETHUNE
July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955
EDUCATOR * STATEWOMEN * ACTIVIST * ENTREPRENEUR
"If we have the courage and tenacity of our
forebears who stood firmly like a rock against
the lash of slavery, we shall find a way to do
for our day what they did for theirs."
See also
References
- Koussau, Mark (November 22, 2021). "Jersey City unveils new statue of Mary McLeod Bethune". Hudson Reporter.
- Koosau, Mark (August 26, 2021). "New Bethune Park opens in Jersey City". Hudson Reporter.
- Baer, Marilyn (August 21, 2020). "Construction to begin on Bethune Park". Hudson Reporter.
- "Jersey City unveils statue to civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune". Jersey Journal. November 22, 2021.
- Heinis, John (November 20, 2021). "Jersey City officials unveil 9-foot Mary McLeod Bethune statue at namesake park in Ward F".
- "Jersey City Statue Honors Civil Rights Leader Mary McLeod Bethune". Jersey City Patch. November 22, 2021.