New statue of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune unveiled in Daytona Beach

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A bronze statue Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune was unveiled in Daytona Beach on Thursday. It's part of a larger project to honor Dr. Bethune.

The new statue is similar to the marble one that currently resides in the U.S. Capitol. It's the first statue of a black person to inhabit Statuary Hall.

The city and county say this is another opportunity to honor the civil rights trailblazer in a community she poured so much into. The statue was created by the same sculptor who worked on her marble statue that was unveiled on Capitol Hill last month. The bronze one will look very similar — with Dr. Bethune wearing a cap and gown – a nod to her love of education and the fact that she founded Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach. She is also holding a black rose. 

This statue and the marble statue are part of the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Statuary Project that also includes lesson plans that can be used in schools.