Donation tin for the Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial Fund: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A brown-and-white square donation tin created by the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW) for the Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial Fund. The metal box features graphics including a portrait of Mary McLeod Bethune, a quote from Bethune, and a thank you note from the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW). At the top of the tin is an opening for inserting coins; at the bottom of the tin is a folding door and key lock.

On one face is a small square portrait of Mary McLeod Bethune captured wearing a pearl-like choker and dark top. Brown and white words above and below the image read: [MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE / Memorial Fund / “Let her works praise her.” / NATIONAL COUNCIL / OF NEGRO WOMEN, INC. / 1318 VERMONT AVENUE, N.W. / WASHINGTON 5 D. C.]. The reverse side of the box features an off-white background and keyhole. A brown-and-white pictorial emblem for the NCNW is painted in the middle and features banners around a group of diverse women which say “WOMEN UNITED” and “FAITH * LEADERSHIP * CULTURE”. The number “901” is marked below the emblem, above brown words that read: [NATIONAL COUNCIL / OF NEGRO WOMEN, INC. / 1318 VERMONT AVE, N.W. / WASHINGTON 5, D. C.].

On one of the brown sides of the tin, in white paint, is written: [YOUR CONTRIBUTION, GIVEN IN LOVE, WHETHER IN / JOY OR SORROW, IN PROSPERITY OR SACRIFICE, IN / MEMORY OR IN HONOR, IN DEVOTION OR IN TRIBUTE, / LINKS YOU IN SPIRIT AND IN DEED WITH MARY McLEOD / BETHUNE WHOSE LIFE WAS DEDICATED THAT MANKIND / EVERYWHERE MIGHT LIVE IN PEACE AND FREEDOM].

On the opposite brown side of the tin, in white, is written: [HERE THEN, IS MY LEGACY … / I LEAVE YOU LOVE – I LEAVE YOU HOPE – I LEAVE YOU THE CHALLENGE / OF DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE IN ONE ANOTER – I LEAVE YOU A THIRST / FOR EDUCATION – I LEAVE YOU A RESPECT FOR THE USE OF POWER / I LEAVE YOU FAITH – I LEAVE YOU RACIAL DIGNITY – I LEAVE YOU / A DESIRE TO LIVE HARMONIOUSLY WITH YOUR FELLOW MEN – I LEAVE / YOU, FINALLLY, A RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. / MARY McLEOD BETHUNE].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: early 1960s
• Created by: National Council of Negro Women, American, founded 1935
• Subject of: Mary McLeod Bethune, American, 1875 - 1955
• Subject of: Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial, American, dedicated 1974
• Type: tins
• Medium: paint on metal and tin and tin alloy
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 4 9/16 × 3 3/8 × 1 9/16 in. (11.6 × 8.5 × 4 cm)
• Place made: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Associations and institutions
• Topic: Communities
• Topic: Women
• Topic: Women's organizations
• Object number: 2022.21.22
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Unknown – Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.