Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) founded The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), a non-profit organization in 1935 during the Depression. Bethune worked principally as an educator and later she served as member of President Franklin D. Roosevelt “Black Cabinet” advising the president on issues related his African American constituency. NCNW programs focused on improving the lives and opportunities for people in the United States and Africa. For example it published under the direction of the NCNW’s Dorothy I. Height (1912-2010) , The Black Family Dinner Quilt Cookbook (first edition 1993). Still in publication, the book is an important part of the organizations national obesity abatement initiative which provides excellent tips for cooking heart-healthy soul food which I also talk about in my book Hog and Hominy.
