St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1951-11-09
Bethune Biography
For Young People
BY ED BLACKWELL

Mary Mcleod Bethune" by
Catherine Owens Peare Wan
guard Press. S2.75D
Catherine Owens Peare's latest
biography Mary Mcleod Beth
une", should be required reading
for all young people. 1t was writ
ten to appeal to the young adult
group.
With color playing such an i'm
portant role in America today, it's
too bad that more authors haven't
followed Miss Peare and done
something to give the youth of to-
day a much better foundation in
understanding the so-Called race
problem that Confronts us.
The author was very wise in her
selection of Mrs Bethune as her
subject because her life probably
more than any other Negro in
American life today, covers the
almost seemingly unsurrmount
able obstacles the Negro has over
come since the emancipation.
While Miss Peare more or less
uses Mrs. Bcthune as symbol of
the progress that the Negro has
made, she has at the some time,
made is very clear that the Negro
people still are denied first class
citizenship.
Another thing about Mrs. Be
thune's life that makes it espeC-
tally attractive to young people,
and is a teChnic almost a must
when you are introducing a new
subject to our future citizens, and
that is that the book has enough
action and drama to hold the at
tention of it's readers, And there
Is no uOuDl lldl mIS. Dtlilult y
life is packed with plenty of dra-
ma and action.
Mrs. Bethune's biography is al
so important because 1t introduces
it's readers to Americas leading
Negroes and Negro organizations
that are constantly appearing in
the news today National Associa-
ton for the Advancement of Col
ored People. Urban League, Uni
ted Negro College Fund, National
Council of Negro Women and
such personalities as Walter
White, A. Philip Randolph. Les
ter Granger. DR. w. f. Dubois,
DR.. Dorothy Fercbee, etc.
Most writers in the interraCial
field have tendency TO preach.
But yet while the author of this
book is SYM athletic and has a
tremendous admiration and re-
spect for Mrs. Bethune and her
work. she has avoided the pitfalls
OF preaching
This is best illustrated in the
following passage when she very
skillfully points out how ridiculous
and issinine II is to stereotype
Negroes or any group of people,
| by relating an incident Mrs. Be
thune had with an elevator boy
The other day In New York
City I went to keep an appoint
mcnt and the elevator boy refused
to carry me up To the office. He
told me to use the freight elevator.
I refused. You lump all Negroes
together, don't yOu?' said to
him. They're all maids to you, I
suppose. What would you think II
I told you all white people were
elevator boys The young man
permitted me TO ride up"
Mary Mcleod Bethune" is the
third biography by Miss Peare for
young people. The other two are
Albert Einstcin" and "Mahatma
Gandhi." Her biography of Gan
dhi was awarded a medal by the
Boys Clubs of America.
Miss Pearc has been in the
human relations field for a num-
Der of years and her articles and
books are very Informative and
have a message of good will.
At present Miss Pcare is on the
staff OF the National Urban
League and is member OF the
Brooklyn Intcrfaith Fellowship