O N Y X S TA F F R E P O R T
UNVEILED DR. MARY MCLEOD-BETHUNE’S STATUE GRACES STATUARY HALL
42 ONYX MAGAZINE
Black and Parker with MMB statue
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ONYX MAGAZINE
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merica’s story shifted on July 13 when members of congress unveiled a statue commemorating world-renowned Florida educator, pioneer and activist Mary McLeod Bethune at the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall. Bethune’s statue now represents Florida, making her the first Black person selected by a state for National Statuary Hall. ONYX Magazine was there to witness the significant event. “This was the most important event I’ve ever experienced in my life,” said ONYX Magazine Publisher Rich Black. “This is an opportunity that America can really celebrate our diversity and inclusion. This was a great day.” The statue of Bethune represents her passion for education and admiration for people. The sculpture depicts Bethune with a stack of books, a graduation cap and gown, a cane, a black rose, and the subtle smile she was known for. She towers above a marble slab engraved with the state of Florida, her full name, her birth and death dates and a quote of hers that captures her essence: “Invest in the human soul, who knows, it may be a diamond in the rough.” With one tug of a black sleek covering, history changed forever. When it slipped down from her 11-foot, three-ton frame, the audience marveled and exploded with applause, knowing her liking was replacing that of Edmund Kirby Smith, a Confederate general who stood there before her. The statue, created from the last piece of statuario marble taken from Michelangelo’s cave in Italy, was crafted by Nilda Comas, the first Hispanic American woman to sculpt a piece for Statuary Hall. “This was a powerful and proud moment that will never happen again,” said Dee Parker, ONYX Magazine’s vice president and events chair. A once-in-a-lifetime event, indeed. However, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, D-Miami Gardens, recalled a memory in her remarks of an earlier Bethune statue unveiling. Wilson says the experience demonstrated the true force of nature Bethune really was. “In 2004, I was so ecstatic and honored to serve as an honorary co-chair for the fundraising and unveiling of the Mary McLeod-Bethune statue on the campus of (University) with Rich Black and Harry Rosen,” she said. “What happened on that day was an out-of-body experience for me. It is a story I will tell for as long as I can.” She recalls the unveiling ceremony was running late because the day also commemorated the new president’s convocation and the university’s 100th year. She stepped outside to view engravings around the statue. As the clock struck noon, and right on schedule, the sky grew dark and a
