DR. EVELYN BETHUNE is an educator, author, entrepreneur, and nationally recognized advocate for historical preservation, leadership development, and community empowerment. A proud graduate of Bethune-Cookman College, now Bethune-Cookman University, she carries forward a deeply personal connection to the institution as the granddaughter of its founder, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.

As Founder and Managing Director of the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Family Legacy Foundation, Inc., Dr. Bethune leads initiatives that preserve, interpret, and expand her grandmother’s legacy while inspiring new generations to embrace scholarship, service, cultural stewardship, and community transformation. Her life’s work reflects the enduring HBCU tradition of education not simply as preparation for a career, but as preparation for leadership and service.

Across more than four decades, Dr. Bethune has built a career spanning education, business, government, nonprofit leadership, media, and

entrepreneurship. She is also the founder of Bethune Publishing House, Inc. and History in the Making Coaching Network, Inc. Her signature master class, “Greatness Is In Your DNA,” connects ancestral history, faith, self-confidence, leadership, and practical business development.

An accomplished author, lecturer, radio host, workshop facilitator, and motivational speaker, Dr. Bethune's books include the award-winning Bethune: Out of Darkness into the Light of Freedom and The Bethune Blueprint: Transforming Your Life Through the Lessons of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. Her work transforms history from something we remember into something we actively use to build stronger lives, communities, and institutions.

Dr. Bethune is a Life Member of the Bethune-Cookman University National Alumni Association and the National Council of Negro Women, where she is also a Bethune Achiever. Her service and leadership have been recognized through numerous honors and acknowledgments, including the Phenomenal Woman Award, Most Influential Women in Business honors, and recognition in the United States Congressional Record. She remains a passionate advocate for HBCUs and for alumni engagement, investment, mentorship, advocacy, and collective leadership so that future generations inherit institutions stronger than those entrusted to us today.