Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune is remembered as one of America’s most inspirational daughters. Her remarkable life saw her break new ground as a civil rights pioneer and activist, as an unmatched champion of African American women’s rights and advancement, and as an educator. In 1935, she founded the National Council of Negro Women, a highly influential civil rights organization.
Each year, the Philadelphia Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW) selects a local leader to receive its Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Award, a special recognition given to African American women whose remarkable achievements and contributions as educators reflect the principles and values that shaped Dr. Bethune’s own life. This year, the NCNW’s Philadelphia Section has chosen Monique Moore Pryor, Executive Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation, as the 2024 recipient of its Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Award.
As noted by the NCNW’s Philadelphia Section in its announcement, Monique has achieved excellence in her work and shares with Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, “outstanding leadership qualities as an educator and organizer.”
“I am honored to receive this award,” Monique said, when notified of the NCNW Philadelphia Section decision. “Dr. Bethune lived an amazing life and remains a vibrant inspiration to many, many women, myself included. Her knowing words that ‘a woman is free if she lives by her own standards and creates her own destiny, if she prizes her individuality and puts no boundaries on her hopes for tomorrow,’ resonate deeply with me and influence the way I live my life and go about my work.”
Monique will accept the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Award at the NCNW Founder’s Day Luncheon on December 14, 2024, at the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue.