🙧 History 🙥
The Bethune-Cookman University (BCU) Class of 1980 established the Bethune-Bronson Scholarship Foundation in September 2024, for the purpose of providing need-based scholarships and other financial assistance to graduating high school seniors entering BCU and matriculating BCU students.
In these times of political unrest and financial uncertainty, particularly as it relates to HBCUs, our Class felt an urgent need and call to action to do all it can do to help alleviate and ease the financial burden that many students experience. As such, we established the Foundation as a vehicle to raise funds for this most worthy cause. Our end goal is to establish a viable and financially thriving Foundation that will assist students in perpetuity and will serve as part of the continuing legacy of our incomparable founder Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and our beloved BCU President of 29 years, Dr. Oswald P. Bronson.
🙧 Logo 🙥
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune used the black rose as a symbol of her vision for racial and social unity. After seeing a garden filled with diverse roses, Dr. Bethune envisioned the black velvet rose as a symbol of interracial and inter-religious brotherhood and began referring to her students at Bethune-Cookman University as her “black roses,” The black rose also appears in the marble statue of Dr. Bethune in the U.S. Capitol, symbolizing her belief in the power of “loving thy neighbor”.
🙧 A Symbol of Unity
Dr. Bethune saw the black velvet rose as a representation of a diverse and inclusive society where individuals from all backgrounds could coexist peacefully.
🙧 A Moniker for Her Students
Dr. Bethune lovingly referred to her students at Bethune-Cookman University as her “black roses,” acknowledging their unique potential and her dedication to their education.
🙧 A Visual Representation of her Vision
The black rose in the marble statue of Dr. Bethune in Statuary Hall serves as a visual representation of her belief in the power of unity and love, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.