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So today is Saturday, July 13th. My name is Daiki Tsumagari. I'm with Humanities Truck. Do I have your permission to record this interview? Yes, sir. All right. Please introduce yourself. And what brought you out here today? Sure. My name is Justin McLeod Bethune. I'm from Oakland, California, originally, and I came out here today to, for one, as a family legacy. My great-grandmother is Mary McLeod Bethune. So it was really important for me to be here today, to be a part of this awesome event and to witness the rededication ceremony of the statue, couldn't be here 50 years ago, but I wanted to make sure I was here today to support.

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And what did. What did she mean to you both as a your great-grandmother and as a person of color? Oh, gosh. It's, she means so much to me for one, just as a as an American, as someone that the country looks up to, who's recognized globally and within the country, especially with the statue and and thinking about the statue she just had dedicated in Statuary Hall in the Capitol. There's just a lot of respect for her. And I have a lot of respect for her and the work that she's done and how she's helped to advance African Americans in this country. So to really define how she, what she means to me, it's pretty much everything. It's my entire legacy. It's my entire life. It's how I live my life, my values, my morals, the things that I walk through the world, how I walk through the world is a reflection of what she believed in. And so it's with me all the time. And what does this what does this moment mean to you in 2024? Yeah, it means a lot. I think that we're in interesting times right now. We're in an election year right now. And I think that events like this are more important than ever, making sure that we are honoring the past and and making sure that we uphold it for the right reasons and and educating and making people aware of our past leaders and what they mean to the country. And as we move forward, how we want to solidify and represent and celebrate their legacies and the things that they've done for this country. It's just super important. And so I'm thankful for first to be here and the Park Service and the NCNW and the work that they've been doing and continuing on with, you know, the founding of of what Mary McLeod Bethune started, I think it's super impactful. So it's a very, I think, important time.

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What do you think of the statue itself? Yeah, I think that what's powerful about the statue, I think, is -- I love that it's not just her. I think sometimes a lot of statues have the individual that they're kind of representing and celebrating, but I think having children around her in the statue says a lot. I think it says a lot about her mission and what she wanted to do and how she believed in. And the next generation. And so I think what I like most about it is the fact that she's kind of anchored by two children, and then she's looking out as if she's, like, kind of looking to the future of what's to come. And so I think the power is within the youth, and I feel as though the statue really represents a figure that also believes in that and had her life work around supporting, supporting the youth. Is there anything else you'd like to add? Let's see. Yeah. I think one thing I'd like to add is, you know, I'm also here on behalf of my extended family. The family that can't be here, my late father, Albert McLeod Bethune, the third, my aunts and uncles, my Uncle Charles down in Florida, and the rest of my family down in Daytona Beach. I'm here to represent them today, and it's an honor to be here on their behalf as well. And so I'm just thankful to to be able to take part and, and kind of have them be an extension of me in this event today and, yeah, I'm just I'm just happy that that's been able to come together.

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That's great. Yeah. Thank you so much for speaking. Awesome. Thank you so much.