As the nation honors the centennial of Black history, the words of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune ring with inspiration: "Without faith, nothing is possible. With faith, nothing is impossible." On the evening of September 23, 2025, those words resonated at the American Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C., during an unveiling of her portrait hosted by the Red Cross, the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. — three organizations with deep ties to Dr. Bethune, the first African American woman honored through portraiture at the headquarters.

Through the vision of Biomedical Partnership Officer Wendy Tabron, her portrait now hangs in the Folger Boardroom alongside the organization's founder, Clara Barton, former president Mabel Boardman and former chairman John Clifford Folger — making her the second African American honored in portraiture at headquarters, after Dr. Charles R. Drew.

"We made history tonight," said Tabron. "Dr. Bethune's legacy now lives on our walls, and I feel her presence in this room. It took a while to get here, but the timing was perfect.”

Chosen from over 60 artists, Anita Easterwood was commissioned to paint Dr. Bethune, reviving her communal spirit in the very room where her advocacy helped shape a more inclusive Red Cross.

“She was not a woman who heard all the yeses," Easterwood explained. "She was a woman that pushed through in spite of all the nos.”

Dr. A. Lois Keith, NCNW board chair, added: "Dr. Bethune was more than an educator. She was a strategist and a visionary. She believed in building institutions that would outlive her.”

THE POWER OF COLLECTIVE ACTION

For Dr. Johnetta Betsch Cole, director emerita of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art and seventh president of NCNW, three words said it all: "It's about time." Her connection to this moment runs deeper than professional expertise — she knew Dr. Bethune personally. Her great-grandfather, Abraham Lincoln Lewis, shared a close relationship with Dr. Bethune and served on the board of Bethune-Cookman College during her tenure as president.

"As a youngster, I had the incredible honor of spending time with her,” Dr. Cole recalls. “I was smitten by her looks, her gorgeous black skin, the way she carried herself. She was a woman of exceptional courage... she believed in the power of collective action. This was not a 'watch me, I'm the Superwoman, I can do anything.' This is someone who worked with, as well as for others."

SACRED SPACE, SACRED MOMENT

Red Cross General Counsel and Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer Dawn Clark-Doccuvi acknowledged the significance of the moment.

"These halls have witnessed service in some of our nation's most challenging moments," said Clarke-Doccuvi. "Tonight, they witness another kind of history — the long-overdue recognition of a Black woman's contributions. As we honor Dr. Bethune, we honor the truth that leadership, courage and service come from every corner of our American story."

TELLING OUR STORIES

As the nation approaches its semiquincentennial, the question of whose stories are told, and where, takes on renewed significance.

At the unveiling, U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina recalled his early days working in the state house in 1971.

“The governor asked me how's it going. I said it was very lonely. I walk through this building and all I see are portraits and statues of people who do not look like me,” Clyburn said. “The governor said, ‘Let's fix that.’”

 Dr. Bethune became the first person of color with a portrait in South Carolina's State House — more than 50 years before this moment.

Dr. Cole believes institutions bear that responsibility.

“The Smithsonian and each and every one of its museums has the responsibility to tell not some of our stories, but all of our stories,” she said. “You cannot, in my view, think that you're telling the story of America, of the American Red Cross, if you do not tell the story of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.”

THE WORK AHEAD

The Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, president and CEO of NCNW, grounded the evening in purpose.

"Dr. Bethune once said, 'The drums of Africa still beat in my heart.' That call is as urgent today as it was then," she said. "This portrait is not only a memorial, it is a living reminder of the work still before us."

When asked what Dr. Bethune would want us to remember about that work, Dr. Cole shared: “She would want us to find, first and importantly, hope to do the work ahead of us... I think she would want us to renew our belief in collectivity. There's a wonderful African proverb that says, ‘When spiderwebs unite, they can even tie up a lion.’”

Before the unveiling, the sharp crack of syncopated snare drums echoed through the room as the Marching Cobras of New York entered with precision, marching to the rhythm of staccato beats. Guests were treated to a culinary tribute befitting Dr. Bethune's legacy. Chef Antonio Gilkey, chief culinary officer of What the Chef, prepared a sweet potato pie in honor of the pies Dr. Bethune sold to fundraise for her school — a reminder that greatness begins with the humblest of offerings. Each guest also received a giclée print of Easterwood's portrait, ensuring that Dr. Bethune's presence would continue to travel far beyond the walls of Red Cross headquarters.

"I think from her very special place in glory, Dr. Bethune must surely be saying, 'Well done,’” said Dr. Cole. “Because she believed so strongly in what happens when groups who may look differently, who may be of different financial means, come together in the interest of doing work that needs to be done.”

HONOR THE LEGACY. GIVE LIFE.

Commemorate 100 years of Black history and the legacy of Dr. Bethune by rolling up a sleeve to give blood. Make an appointment on the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org/OurBlood, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Those who come to give blood, platelets or plasma Jan. 26 – Feb. 28, 2026, will receive a $20 e-gift card. Terms and additional details at RedCrossBlood.org/Heart.