Mary McLeod Bethune – world renowned educator, civil and women’s rights activist, presidential advisor, and public servant – achieved her greatest recognition at the Washington, D.C., townhouse that is now this National Historic Site. The Council House was the first national headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc., (NCNW) from 1943-1966 and was Bethune’s last home in the nation’s capital from 1943-1949. From there, Bethune and the NCNW spearheaded strategies and developed programs that advanced the interests of African American women.
