Mary McLeod Bethune served as President Franklin Roosevelt’s special advisor on minority affairs. She rose through the political ranks to become the first African American woman to head a federal office. Her Vermont Ave home, where she lived for seven years, has been transformed into an archive, research center and small museum administered by the National Park Service. Rangers lead tours and show videotapes about Bethune’s life, and exhibits, lectures and workshops on black history are held here as well.
The house was the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women.
