Mary McLeod Bethune

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A United States teacher and civil rights leader who worked to give Black Americans better schools and rights

proper noun
/ˈmɛri məˈkloʊd bɪˈθun/

: Mary McLeod Bethune

Mary McLeod Bethune founded a school for African American girls in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Examples

President Roosevelt appointed Mary McLeod Bethune as an advisor on minority affairs.
Mary McLeod Bethune founded a school for Black girls in Daytona Beach.
The achievements of Mary McLeod Bethune are celebrated during Black History Month.
The legacy of Mary McLeod Bethune continues to inspire educators today.
Mary McLeod Bethune founded a school for African American girls in Daytona Beach, Florida.
President Roosevelt appointed Mary McLeod Bethune as an advisor on minority affairs.
The achievements of Mary McLeod Bethune are celebrated during Black History Month.

Surface Forms

Mary McLeod Bethune main

Morphology

Mary + McLeod + Bethune

This item is a proper personal name; the biographical meaning ('United States educator and civil rights leader') is not compositional and cannot be derived from the constituent name parts. Proper names are arbitrary referents that require world knowledge or exposure rather than knowledge of individual name components, so a B1 learner knowing the parts would not infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Mary McLeod Bethune was a Black American teacher who opened a school for girls in Daytona Beach and later advised presidents to help Black people get better schooling and fair treatment. That's why her name stands for 'education' and 'civil rights' today.