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Commitment Honored

Dorothy Height Passes Torch 1912 2010

AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition April 28, 2010

Commitment Honored: Dorothy Height Passes Torch, 1912-2010

Commemorative Electronic Edition A publication of the Afro-American Newspapers The Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper 2519 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21218 410-554-8200 The Washington Afro-American Newspaper 1917 Benning Road, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 332-0080 John J. Oliver Jr. Chairman/Publisher Executive Editor Talibah Chikwendu Project Editors Tiffany Ginyard Kristin Gray Zenitha Prince Electronic Editor Melissa Jones Graphic Designer Talibah Chikwendu

Honoring The Legacy Of Dr. Dorothy I. Height

Ninety-eight years ago, Dr. Dorothy I. Height was born. At some point early on, she came upon her purpose and dedicated her life, as she is quoted saying, to working for equality, for justice, to eliminate racism, to build a better life for our families and our children. People around the globe were the beneficiary of this womans phenomenal strength, courage and tenacity. Our lives have been forever enriched by her and her legacy of service will continue to be of benefit. On the day of her last birthday, March 24, 2010, Dr. Height was taken to the hospital for the last time, continuing to fight until 3:41 a.m. Tuesday, April 20, 2010. Dr. Height never married, had no children and is survived by one sister. Her life, however, was neither solitary or lonely as the flood of stories, tributes, caring and appreciation that have come since her death illustrate. She bypassed the comforts of family to stay focused a purpose bigger than her happiness, bigger than her own life. The accolades she received are indicators of how successful she was in that pursuit. With the legacy and energy from her actions Dr. Height left, its doubtful, even now, that resting is something she will do. Imagine her instead, continuing to watch

I am deeply saddened by the passing today of my dear friend and mentor, Dorothy Irene Height, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman Alexis M. Herman said. She Former U.S. was a dynamic woman with a Secretary of resilient spirit, who was a role Labor model for women and men of all faiths, races and perspectives. For her, it wasnt about the many years of her life, but what she did with them. Throughout her life, Dr. Height inspired countless women to become effective leaders. She advocated for families and encouraged children to value education and social justice. To draw on the words of NCNW founder Mary McLeod Bethune, Dr. Height leaves us love, hope, the challenge of developing confidence in one another, respect for the use of power, faith and racial dignity. She was a national treasure who lived life abundantly. She will be greatly missed, not only by those of us who knew her well, but by the countless beneficiaries of her enduring legacy.

over things, pulling any strings shes been given to pull, to work towards those still unattained objectives. This commemorative electronic compilation from the AFRO American Newspapers, is a tribute, reminder and keepsake of Dr. Height. There is also the hope this reflection on her life will serve as a call to action. Its our job to participate, to pursue her yet incomplete objectives understanding that one lone person will never fill her shoes. It requires all of us to step up, fill a role and do our part. Otherwise the path Dr. Height has forged will come to an end without ever reaching its destination. It is with honor and appreciation that the AFRO presents Commitment Honored: Dorothy Height Passes the Torch, 1912-2010.

April 28, 2010 AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition

By Talibah Chikwendu AFRO Executive Editor So long as God lets me live, said Dorothy Irene Height in one of several oral history archive videos presented by the National Visionary Leadership Project, I will be on the firing line. She honored that commitment to herself and the causes of African Americans, women and children until her final days, with her every thought, word and deed. Truly people the world over lost an revered and tireless advocate on April 20, when Dr. Height, 98, died after an extended hospitalization. Dr. Height was born March 24, 1912 in Richmond, Va., to Fannie Burroughs Height (a nurse in a Black hospital) and James Edward Height (building contractor). Both widowers, each brought children to the marriage and had two children together, Dorothy and her sister, Anthanette. The family moved to Rankin, Pa. when she was four and stayed throughout her school years. Early experiences like joining her mother at the Pennsylvania Federation of Colored Womens Clubs meetings, being denied access to swim in the pool at the Pittsburgh central YWCA branch and being turned away at Barnard College because she was the third Black to show up with an acceptance letter (the schools policy was to only admit two) shaped her lifes direction. I learned that there is no advantage in bitterness, that I needed to go into action, which is something I have tried to follow since, Dr. Height said, according to a 2004 Associated Press article. Dr. Heights Barnard acceptance letter earned her immediate admittance at

Daughters of the American Revolution event.

Courtesy Photo/Laura Murphy

New York University where, armed with her IBPO Elks scholarship she received as winner of the organizations National Oratorical Contest, she earned a bachelor of science degree in education and a masters degree in psychology. From college she immediately went to work helping others, starting in the New York City Department of Welfare. From there, she went to the YWCA of New York, Harlem Branch and, according to her memoir Open Wide Freedom Gates published in 2003, met Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune on the same day a day that would empower the rest of her lifes work. That day started an association with the national political scene that resulted in her providing consultation to presidents through the Clinton administration, including being called to the White House in the hours after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It was also the day she began as a volunteer with the National Council of Negro Women, an organization she would run as president from 1957 1998, then serve This July 2009 photo shows Dr. Dorothy I. Height at a as chair and

Hea vens Gates Thrown Open for Dorothy Height

AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition April 28, 2010

Cynthia ButlerMcIntyre National President of Delta Sigma Theta

The world knows Dr. Height as the Godmother of the Civil Rights Movement, but to the members of Delta Sigma Theta, she was so much more. Dr. Height was a role model, mentor, sister and friend who will be greatly missed. She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy that will inspire us all to work toward effecting change with the vigor and tenacity that she embodied. Words cannot express what Dr. Height has meant to the members of Delta Sigma Theta. She is a visionary leader who has inspired others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more. Her dedication, sacrifice and committed service have played a major role in shaping strategies, policies and procedures that continue to sustain Delta as the single largest African-American womens organization. We join the nation in mourning the loss of this phenomenal woman.

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Dorothy Height, in an undated photo.

She was a valiant and vibrant leader who was unrelenting in decrying injustice and urging that wrongs are righted. It was her lifelong mission. Her courage inspired admiration, love and respect. Most of all, she moved those on the sidelines to join her in the fight!

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April 28, 2010 AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition

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president emerita until her death. Along the way, the lifelong member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority served as the organizations president from 1946 1957. Mere words cannot express what Dr. Height has meant to the members of Delta Sigma Theta, said National President Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre. Her life of dedication, sacrifice and service coupled with her leadership abilities has definitely played a major role in shaping strategies, policies and procedures that continue to sustain Delta Sigma Theta as a viable African-American womens organization here in the United States and abroad. Height also served on the staff of the National Board of the YWCA from 19441977; was a visiting professor at the University of Delhi, India in the Delhi School of Social Work; wrote an Amsterdam News column called A Womans Word; was an organizer and vice president of the United Christian Youth Movement of North American and was appointed to the National Council for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research which published the Belmont Report, considered the bible of researchers ethical guidelines and was the sole female team member in the United Civil Rights Leadership. Her work in the civil rights movement called on all her training and experience. Dr. Height said one of her roles while working with Martin Luther King Jr., Whitney H. Young, A. Phillip Randolph, James Farmer, Roy Wilkins and John Lewis was to be a calming influence and to

make sure that even in speaking up, she was a bridge to a solution and moving the process forward. In terms of the working relationship, She added that despite I had great respect for those men. I felt the general that we were a group of peers. I felt at downplay of her role home in that group. I never felt I needin public, ed to fight as a woman. she was an equal and active member. In terms of the working relationship, she said on an oral history archive video, I had great respect for those men. I felt that we were a group of peers. I felt at home in that group. I never felt I needed to fight as a woman. Maudine Cooper, president of the Greater Washington Urban League, said, She was the only woman amongst the civil rights leaders. I know it was a tough place to be, but she held her own. And she made

The one woman in the crowd, from left: Floyd McKissick (Congress of Racial Equality), Dr. Dorothy Height (National Council for Negro Women), A. Phillip Randolph (Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters), Whitney Young (National Urban League) and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Southern Christian Leadership Conference). Missing from photo is Roy Wilkins (NAACP).

AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition April 28, 2010

Dorothy Height was instrumental in the civil rights movement with her insistent voice for racial justice and gender equality in America. Known among many as the glue that held the civil rights leaders together; she fought tireless for more than six decades for a better more just country. She liked to say, If the times arent ripe, you have to ripen the times. Her words and her actions made a positive difference in my life and all Americans. A powerful activist and advocate, Height was president of the National Council of Negro Women for more than 40 Sen. Ben Cardin, years. In 1994, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of D-Md. Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, and in 2004 she received the Congressional Gold Medal the highest honor Congress can bestow. Dorothy Height will forever stand among our nations great heroes, leaving behind a legacy of justice, equality and hope.
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The progressive movement lost a champion today, and the Center for American Progress lost a dear ally in the work for equality and justice. Dr. Dorothy Height, an iconic civil rights leader, was a pioneer for gender and racial equity and was a beacon of light in some of our nations darkest days. She fought until the very end Erica Williams of her distinguished life to ensure Deputy Director of equal opportunity for all Americans Progress 2050 and equality for the greater human race. Like many who have gone before her, Dr. Heights tireless lifelong passion to make our nation live up to its highest ideals of fairness and equal opportunity paved the way for us all to experience this nation unfettered by the chains of discrimination and oppression. This great woman, often the only woman in the circles of elite, male-dominated civil rights leadership, left her fingerprint on many of the greatest victories of the civil rights movementfrom antilynching laws, to desegregation of the armed forces, to equal access to public accommodations. It is in her honor that we continue to advance the values for which she stood and today join the millions of Americans in celebrating her life and contributions.

I was introduced to the legacy of Dr. Dorothy Height through my 93-yearold grandmother, who considered Dr. Height one of her heroes. Our first meeting was at the 1993 March on Washington, where I Ben Jealous was an organizer for NAACP CEO & the event. Dr. Height President was a tireless and committed fighter for civil rights. Despite being in poor health, she joined the NAACP late last year in our health care war room to advocate for health care reform. The defining legacy of Dr. Height will be the countless individuals she inspired and mentored into positions of great leadership. She will be most remembered for what she did to encourage women to reach greater levels of achievement, but the truth is that she also guided and mentored the ambition to service and contributions of thousands of men. Her passion for a just society and her vision for a better world inspires us all.

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Dr. Dorothy Height, left, is shown receiving the Generous Heart Award from Olender Foundation, presented by Lovell and Jack Olender in Dec. 1990.

AFRO File Photo/Glogau Studio

April 28, 2010 AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition

sure that they not only talked about civil on the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments rights, but they also talked about womens of the Constitution, she said, according rights. to an NNPA report on the interview. And It was during this time she began an that was at 14, and today, Im still trying association with Ofield Dukes, noted to make the promise that the 14th amendWashington, D.C. public relations professional, then working for the vice president. Dukes said, And there among these leaders Roy Wilkins of the NAACP , Whitney Young of the Nation Urban League, A. Philip Randolph of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. of SCLC, James Farmer, John Lewis of SNCC, and civil rights strategist Michele V. Hagans, left, chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia, Bayard Rustin was a fits the hood denoting the honorary Doctor of Humane lady of high respect, Dr. Letters that was conferred on Dorothy I. Height, Dorothy Irene Height. president of the National Council of Negro Women, at Above all, Dr. Height, UDCs 19th Commencement Convocation, May 1996. in her cool, classy manner, was not intimidated by the cadre of Negro male leadership, at ment makes under law a reality. a time when women were not readily acThat choice and her subsequent service cepted in such a distinguished leadership did not go unrecognized. Along with 36 role. She also had the respect of President honorary doctorate degrees from inJohnson and my boss, Vice President stitutions including Spelman College, Hubert H. Humphrey. Bennett College, Tuskegee University, Dukes, a close friend of Height, calls her a Lincoln University, Morehouse College, pioneer and said she provided a founHoward University, New York University, dation for the subsequent leadership role of African-American women. And that was at 14, and today, Im still Height never married and did not have any children, choosing instead to deditrying to make the promise that the 14th cate herself to making the world better amendment makes under law a reality. for everyone. At 14, Id become very much involved in understanding the Constitution. I chose to write my oration Columbia University, Princeton
AFRO File Photo/UDC by Leon Gurley

AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition April 28, 2010

How can one pay adequate homage to Dorothy Height? One cant really, but we are obliged to try because tribute must be paid to a woman such as this. Today, President Obama called her the Godmother of the Civil Rights Earl G. Graves Sr. Movement, and that was by Founder & no means an understatement. Publisher of Black She was a dream giver, an Enterprise earth shaker, and a crusader for human rights who served as a catalyst for change at a time when few could take a stand.

Dr. Dorothy I. Heights extraordinary life spanned nearly a full century and much of the arc that represents Americas advancement toward that more perfect union that the founders envisioned. From an early age, she was an influential force in our national progress, advising presidents and other national leaders whom the vast majority of Americans know only from history books. And until just a few weeks ago, she was still very much in the game teaching, advising, leading and inspiring. We fondly remember Dr. Heights acceptance just last year Ralph B. Everett of the Joint Centers Louis E. Martin Great American Award, President & CEO and how she enthralled our Annual Dinner audience with a 20 Joint Center minute address, delivered without notes, that artfully blended lessons and experiences from her life and career with a powerful vision for the nations continued progress. Dr. Heights great legacy was her success in broadening understanding of human and civil rights, and her guiding of generations of activists to take up the mantle of leadership in the struggle for racial equality. Through it all, her steadfast commitment to the American ideal set a standard that continues to inspire young people to civic engagement and community service. She played an important role in leading our country into a new era. And her death today at age 98 reminds us of the great strides that can be achieved through the power of ideas, through faith in the ability of our political system to right its wrongs, and through the shining example of ones own dignity and grace under pressure.

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April 28, 2010 AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition

University, Harvard University and Meharry Medical College, she has received some of the highest honors awarded in this nation. These include: Congressional Gold Medal (2003), Presidential Medal of Freedom (1994), Presidents Citizens Medal (1989), Franklin D. Roosevelts Freedom From Want Award (1993), John F. Kennedy Memorial Award, NAACPs Spingarn Medal (1993), Congressional Black Caucus Decade of Service Award and the Barnard College Medal of Distinction (1980). She was also the Ladies Home Journal 1974 Woman of the Year, was inducted into the Democracy Hall of Fame in 2004 and the National Womens

AFRO File Photo/Milton Williams

Hall of Fame in 1993, and received Theres a way in which the progthe Hadassah Myrtle Wreath of ress that was made [during the Achievement in Civil Rights Movement], laid bare 1964. The many acknowl- the progress that was needed, but edgements Dr. was yet undone. Height received highlighted the tirelessness of her work that she saw as unfinished. Theres a way in which the progress that was made [during the Civil Rights Movement], laid bare the progress that was needed, but was yet undone, she said in an oral history archive video. She lays the incomplete work at the feet of institutional racism, which she noted people refuse to admit exists and which has an unfortunate consequence. The climate of righteous indignation that there was something wrong is not here now, she said. We have to take seriously that we really want to create a society of equality and freedom. We may compromise on strategy and tactics, but not the goal. Kweisi Mfume, executive director for the Dr. Dorothy Height, in this undated phoNational Medical to, holds the award Association, said, she received from No matter how the United Negro long the jourCollege Fund. ney, cold the chill, or fierce the enemy, [Dr. Height] This undated photo shows captured our Dr. Dorothy Height durwill to dare ing the Opening of the to be different Women & Works in the 80s Conference at the and our will to Capital Hilton Hotel. dare to make a

AFRO File Photo

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AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition April 28, 2010

I am a child of the civil rights movement, and I have lost my godmother and the godmother of the great movements of her time. My friend and mentor Dorothy Height lived the longest and most productive life of leadership for civil rights and womens rights in our history. She became a guiding force in her persona for generations of Americans like Congresswoman me, seeking equal rights for people of Eleanor Holmes color and for women. Norton, D-DC Dorothy walked a straight line for human rights that accommodated no division among groups. When confusion arose among Black people as the womens rights movement emerged, Dorothy led by example. Black women quickly came to understand that if they had two strikes against them, it would do no good to let either remain. Dorothy seemed to know how important her continuing participation and presence was for the many causes she championed because she continued to speak and attend events until she was admitted, under protest, to Howard University Hospital where she died this morning. Dorothy Height was a woman of immense grace and elegance, but she did not go quietly. She lived as an activist until the very end of her life, for the great causes that bear her signature.

This J ul the AC y 2009 phot os L Heigh U Washing hows Laur a Mur ton Le t at a D phy gis aughte rs of th lative Offic , director o f e, e Ame rican R right, with Dr. evolut ion ev ent.

Today the nation lost a great leader in Dr. Dorothy Height. Dr. Heights contributions to advancing freedom and equality in this country have left an indelible mark on our history and our future. She was a champion of civil rights, human rights, Arlene Holt Baker womens rights and workAFL-CIO Exec. Vice ers rights. She was on the President battlefield with Eleanor Roosevelt, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., A. Philip Randolph, Hillary Clinton and Pres. Obama, just to name a few. She remains a strong shero to so many, but especially for African American women, young and old. She embodied struggle, strength, determination, love and elegance. Dr. Height will be sorely missed but she leaves a legacy that earned its way into our history books and our hearts.

The Washington Interdependence Council, administrators of the Benjamin Banneker Memorial, joins the rest of the nation and global community in expressing our bereavement over the lost of Americas iconic royalty, and Grande Dame Matriarch of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Dorothy Height. She was a stalwart for liberty and justice not just here in America, but across the globe, especially as relates to the rights of women, and all disenfranchised people. Peggy Seats As a trailblazer in so many arenas, Dr. Height Founder/CEO spearheaded the campaign to successfully own the Washington first, and only, major office facility on Pennsylvania Interdependence Ave. here in the nations capital within a stones Council throw of our nations capital. Never has there been a more dedicated modern day Drum Major for Justice than Dr. Height as she also walked with, and advised, Dr. Martin Luther King as she divinely comprised the seventh of the illustrious team of the Big Six who led us onward and upward towards freedom and justice. We are so happy to have had the privilege of feting her incredible contributions with a Whos Who Tribute to her in 2006 as the pinnacle of our 10 Year Anniversary celebrations. May you rest in peace Phenomenal Woman, as Im sure God is saying Well Done My Child, Well Done. Thank you Grande Dame Matriarch for taking us to Greater Heights.

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April 28, 2010 AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition

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important lesson that future generadifference. In tions of civil rights advocates can many respects, it was [because draw from her is the importance of working with people from of] what Dorothy diverse backHeight did for us grounds and We have to take seriously as apart of that ideologies larger movethat we really want to create ment that to achieve common were able to a society of equality and freegoals. stand today dom. We may compromise on Dr. as a race of Heights people confistrategy and tactic, but not strength, dent, capable the goal. clarity of and prepared. purpose Butlerand spirit will be McIntyre said, Many celebrations were held in honor of the 85th birthday of Dr. Height, seated At the missed, but all people Dr. Height party held at NCNW headquarters were from of good conscience, was a visionleft, Norma Stewart and Secretary of Labor interested in a world ary leader and Designate Alexis Herman. of equality and jusinspired others tice, should take up to dream more, her mantle and fight to learn more, eradicate poverty and racism. do more and become more. The most
AFRO File Photo/Dazine Kent

AFRO File Photo/deborah Bush

Dr. Dorothy Height, second from right, enjoys an outdoor activity in Sept. 1998 with, from left, Alexis Herman, Jane Smith, Constance Newman, Cora Masters-Barry and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.

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AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition April 28, 2010

President Barack Obama, speaking for himself and his wife, Michelle.

Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Dorothy Height the godmother of the Civil Rights Movement and a hero to so many Americans. Ever since she was denied entrance to college because the incoming class had already met its quota of two African American women, Dr. Height devoted her life to those struggling for equality. She led the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years, and served as the only woman at the highest level of the Civil Rights Movement witnessing every march and milestone along the way. And even in the final weeks of her life a time when anyone else would have enjoyed their well-earned rest Dr. Height continued her fight to make our nation a more open and inclusive place for people of every race, gender, background and faith. Michelle and I offer our condolences to all those who knew and loved Dr. Height and all those whose lives she touched.

President Barack Obama kisses Dr. Dorothy I. Height during a meeting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Jan. 18, 2010.

Marc Morial President & CEO National Urban League

We are following a path that was forged by Dr. Height. Her legacy is a debt we can never repay. We merely hope to honor her memory and try as we can to live up to her example. She stood side-by-side with League President Whitney M. Young as they worked with Dr. Martin Luther to map a strategy for the landmark civil rights challenges of the 1960s. Dr. Heights strength and courage continue to inspire the Urban League movement.

Dorothy Height was a woman of stunning dedication, discipline and vision, said Cummings. In the press and the history books, her time was often overshadowed by the men of the Civil Rights movement. However, in the hearts and minds of the millions who she touched, she will never be forgotten. While Dorothy Height stood with Martin Luther King Jr. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for his famous I have a dream speech, she stood tall in her own right as well. Her time with the National Council of Negro Women caused great change in our nation Rep. Elijah and though she was not always acknowledged, her effect on history Cummings is unmistakable. I was proud to see her awarded the Congressional D-Md, House of Gold Medal in 2004, for a wonderful life of service. Millions of Representatives women have lost a role model and America has lost one of our true treasures. My prayers are with Ms. Heights friends and family during their time of loss.

Dr. Dorothy I. Height was the beloved matriarch of the civil rights movement. The nation has lost a stalwart champion for civil rights and gender equality. With perseverance and strong determination Dr. Height broke through the proverbial glass ceiling as the only woman working side by Roslyn M. Brock NAACP Chairman side with the Big Six to secure civil rights legislation in the 1950s and 60s. Today we have lost a strong voice and champion for women and children. Her lasting contributions will live on through the lives of those she touched and mentored.

Official White House photo by Pete Souza

April 28, 2010 AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition

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On a chilly, autumn day in 1995, civil rights icon Dr. Dorothy I. Height realized her mentor Mary McLeod Bethunes dream to establish a prominent presence for Black women on Americas Main Street by dedicating the National Centers for African American Women and the Dorothy I. Height Leadership Institute. Amidst the reverie and roll call of luminaries, including Coretta Scott King, then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, and poet Maya Angelou, were shivering groups of African American girls gawking at the regal, gracious figure in the fancy hat they learned was Dr. Height. Mighty tall timber, they witnessed. There are a lot of strong Black women in the United States and after what I saw here today, I think I can become one of them, Veronica Lockett, then a 17-year-old student at Baltimores Frederick Douglass High School, told a Washington columnist. Renee Carter, of the District, stood next to her young daughter, Britney, and said, When she gets older, maybe she will be standing on the podium and she can say she remembers when Dorothy Height opened this building. Due to her legendary tenacity, Dr. Height, then-president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), also headquartered at 633 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, could pledge that the history of African-American women will no longer have to be interpreted by anybody else. Dr. Height, the Godmother of the Civil Rights Movement, died Tuesday in Howard University Hospital. She was 98 years old. For all the well-deserved awards,

accolades and degrees she received, including the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award, Dr. Height might have been most proud of the inspiring legacy she bequeathed the Veronicas and Britneys following in her esteemed

Our View

A Lantern of Leadership Dims

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AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition April 28, 2010
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April 24, 2010 - April 30, 2010, The Washington Afro-American

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Dorothy Irene Height, who served as president of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years until 1997, sits in front of her featured storyboard inside the Freedoms Sisters exhibition at the Cincinnati Museum Center, March 14, 2008.
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By Talibah Chikwendu AFRO Executive Editor of several oral history archive videos presented by the National Visionary Leadership Project, I will be on the firing line. She honored that commitment to herself and the causes of African Americans, women and children until her final days,

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By Talibah Chikwendu AFRO Executive Editor So long as God lets me live, said Dorothy Irene Height in one

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By Dorothy Rowley AFRO Staff Writer After years of raised expectations and crushed hopes, just about every District resident thought 2010 would be the year that the citys voting rights bill would finally meet congressional approval. Such was not the case this week, however, after the

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District Voting Rights Teachers Union Halts New Bill StymiedAgain Contract, Files New Court Action
By Dorothy Rowley AFRO Staff Writer Whether a $34 million surplus exists in District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhees 2009 budget remains to be seen. But amid the yes-wehave-the-money-no-wedont exchanges that have been taking place between Rhee and the citys chief financial officer, Natwar Gandhi, irate officials at the Washington Teachers Union said during a press conference late last week that until the money matter is resolved, the new teachers contract Rhee recently negotiated with them has been called off. Were here today because were very troubled and concerned about the utter

of several oral history archive videos presented by the National Visionary Leadership Project, I will be on the firing line.

She honored that commitment to herself and the causes of African Americans, women and children until her final days,

with her every thought, word and deed. Truly, people the world over lost a revered and tireless advocate in the early morning hours

of April 18, when Dr. Height, 98, died of natural causes after an extended hospitalization at Howard University Hospital.

I am deeply saddened by the passing today of my dear friend and mentor, Dorothy Irene Height, former Continued on A7

This July 2009 photo shows Dr. Dorothy I. Height at a Daughters of the American Revolution event.

23

Although people are sorry to see it go down, I think there will be other times in the current administration that it might pass.
controversial legislation which was poised to give the District a voice on Capitol Hill and repeal the bulk of its gun control laws was struck down due to a lack of support. It is outrageous that as D.C. struggles for selfdetermination, a provision would be put in placea threat of an amendment that undercuts D.C.s rightsto make decisions for itself about issues like guns and violence, Hilary Shelton, director for advocacy at the Washington Continued on A8

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confusion that has existed this week regarding the projection of the budgets that led to the dismissal of 266 of our DCPS teachers, said WTU

President George Parker. He added that attorneys for WTU had electronically filed two motions with the Continued on A4

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Continued on A5

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Troy Taylor

Copyright 2010 by the Afro-American Company

AFRO File Photo/Milton Williams

AP Photo/Barnard College, Diane Bondareff

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 6-10 p.m. Dr. Height will lie in repose at the NCNW Building on Pennsylvania Avenue for public viewing. Wednesday, April 28, 2010 2 p.m. The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority will conduct a public Omega Omega Service at Howard University.

In this Sept. 13, 1990 photo, Dr. Dorothy Height is shown with President George H. W. Bush in the Oval Office. She was there as part of a group.

Copyright 2010 by the Afro-American Company

Dr. Dorothy Height and the late Ron Brown, former U.S. secretary of Commerce, are shown, in this undated photo, at an awards ceremony.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 7 p.m. A Community Celebration of Life Service will be held at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Thursday, April 29, 2010 10 a.m. A funeral service will be conducted at Washington National Cathedral and is open to the public. Burial service will follow at Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Maryland.

This undated photo shows Dr. Dorothy Height during the opening of the Women & Works in the 80s Conference at the Capital Hilton Hotel.

Civil Rights activist and 2004 Congressional Gold Medal of Honor recipient Dorothy Height, 92, smiles after being made an honorary Barnard College alumna by President Judith Shapiro, June 3, 2004, in New York, 75 years after she was turned away by the college in an era of racial quotas.

AFRO File Photo

Dr. Dorothy Height poses with James Ingram in this undated photo.

Gregory Dale contributed to this article.

AFRO File Photo

Shown in this undated photo, from left, are: Attorney General Janet Reno, Deborah Lewis, the Rev. Willie Barrow, the late Dr. C. DeLores Tucker, the late Rosa Parks, Melba Moore, the late Hon. Shirley Chisholm and Dr. Dorothy I. Height.

Dorothy Height, in an undated photo.

AFRO File Photo

AFRO File Photo/Susan Biddle, The White House

Courtesy Photo

Washington Teachers Union President George Parker and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, confer prior to a press conference held last week in downtown Washington.

Michele V. Hagans, left, chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia, fits the hood denoting the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters that was conferred on Dorothy I. Height, president of the National Council of Negro Women, at UDC's 19th Commencement Convocation, May 1996.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman said. She was a dynamic woman with a resilient spirit, who was a role model for women and men of all faiths, races and perspectives. For her, it wasnt about the many years of her life, but what she did with them. Hermans words were just the beginning of the outpouring of love that flooded e-mail, Facebook and Twitter in the hours after the hospital released information on Dr. Height's death. President Barack Obama, elected officials, organizational leaders, sorority sisters, co-workers, friends, admirers and more, shared their thoughts about the woman the late C. DeLores Tucker once called the queen of the civil rights movement. ... Even in the final weeks of her life a time when anyone else would have enjoyed their well-earned rest Dr. Height continued her fight to make our nation a more open and inclusive place for people of every race, gender, background and faith, said President Obama. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., said, Throughout her life, Dr. Height wore many hats literally and figuratively with elegance and dignity, excellence and determination. ... Today we mourn the loss, but celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Height a visionary and great humanitarian who gave us all so much. Dr. Height was born March 24, 1912, in Richmond, Va., to Fannie Burroughs Height and James Edward Height. Each had children and they had two children together, Dorothy and her sister, Anthanette. The family moved to Rankin, Pa., when Dorothy was 4 and stayed throughout her school years. Early experiences like being turned away at Barnard College because she was the third Black to show up with an admittance letter (the schools policy was to only admit two) shaped her life's direction. I learned that there is no advantage in bitterness, that I needed to go into action, which is something I have tried to follow since, Dr. Height said, according to a 2004 Associated Press article. Dr. Heights Barnard acceptance letter got her immediate admittance to New York University where, armed with her IBPO Elks National Oratorical Contest winner's scholarship, she earned a bachelor of science degree in education and a master's degree in psychology. After college she went to work helping others, starting in the New York City Department of Welfare. From there, she went to the YWCA of New York, Harlem Branch and, according to her memoir Open Wide Freedom Gates published in 2003, met Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune on the same day a day that would empower the rest of her lifes work. That day started an association with the national political scene that resulted in her providing consultation to presidents through the Clinton administration, including being called to the White House in the hours after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It was also the day she began as a volunteer with the National Council of Negro Women, an organization she would run as president from 1957 1998, then serving as chair and president emerita until her death. My friend and mentor Dorothy Height lived the longest and most productive life of leadership for civil rights and womens rights in our history, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C. Along the way, the lifelong member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority served as the organizations president from 1946 1957. Mere words cannot express what Dr. Height has meant to the members of Delta Sigma Theta, said National President Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre. Her life of dedication, sacrifice and service coupled with her leadership abilities has definitely played a major role in shaping strategies, policies and procedures that continue to sustain Delta Sigma Theta as a viable African-American womens organization here in the United States and abroad.

Her work in the civil rights movement called on all her training and experience. Dr. Height said one of her roles while working with Martin Luther King Jr., Whitney H. Young, A. Phillip Randolph, James Farmer, Roy Wilkins and John Lewis was to be a calming influence and a bridge to a solution and moving the process forward. She added that despite the general downplay of her role in public, she was an equal and active member. Maudine Cooper, president of the Greater Washington Urban League, said, She was the only woman amongst the civil rights leaders. I know it was a tough place to be, but she held her own. And she made sure that they not only talked about civil rights, but they also talked about womens rights. It was during this time she began an association with Ofield Dukes, noted Washington, D.C. public relations professional, then working for the vice president. Dukes, a close friend of Height at the time of her death, calls her a pioneer and said she provided a foundation for the subsequent leadership role of African-American women. Height never married and did not have any children, choosing instead to dedicate herself to making the world better for everyone. That choice and her subsequent service did not go unrecognized. Along with 36 honorary doctoral degrees, she has received some of the highest honors awarded in this nation. The many acknowledgements Dr. Height received shine a light on the tirelessness of her work that she sees as unfinished. She lays the incomplete work at the feet of institutional racism, which she notes people refuse to admit exists and which has an unfortunate consequence. The climate of righteous indignation that there was something wrong is not here now, she said. We have to take seriously that we really want to create a society of equality and freedom. We may compromise on strategy and tactic, but not the goal. Butler-McIntyre said, Dr. Height was a visionary leader and inspired others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more. The most important lesson that future generations of civil rights advocates can draw from her is the importance of working with people from diverse backgrounds and ideologies to achieve common goals. Wade Henderson, president and CEO, said, I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Height for more than 20 years. Her wise counsel, political acumen, and pragmatic idealism were, quite simply, invaluable. She was active in the work of The Leadership Conference right up until it was just physically impossible for her to do so ... If, as the saying goes, service is the rent we pay for living, then Dr. Height is paid in full, many times over and she has paid the tab for many of us as well. Dr. Height's strength, clarity of purpose and spirit will be missed, but all people of good conscience, interested in a world of equality and justice, should take up her mantle and fight to eradicate poverty and racism. Dorothy seemed to know how important her continuing participation and presence was for the many causes she championed because she continued to speak and attend events until she was admitted, under protest, to Howard University Hospital where she died this morning, said Norton. Dorothy Height was a woman of immense grace and elegance, but she did not go quietly. She lived as an activist until the very end of her life, for the great causes that bear her signature. Dr. Height is survived by her sister, Anthanette Height Aldridge of New York City. Funeral arrangements have not yet been released. Please visit AFRO.com for more information.

Dorothy Irene Height, who served as president of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years until 1997, sits in front of her featured storyboard inside the Freedoms Sisters exhibition at the Cincinnati Museum Center, March 14, 2008.

AP Photo/David Kohl Continued on A4

So long as God lets me live, said Dorothy Irene Height in one

By Melanie R. Holmes AFRO Staff Writer

Police Make Arrests in Murder Waste Workers Unhappy With 1+1 of AFRO Security Guard
You got people who are complaining about the rats because of the one-day pickup, said Belinda Jones, a solid waste truck driver. A lot of the families dont have enough receptacles to contain a lot of the trash. When people dont have anywhere to put their trash, By Tiffany Ginyard Baltimore Bureau Chief

with her every thought, word and deed. Truly, people the world over lost a revered and tireless advocate in the early morning hours

of April 18, when Dr. Height, 98, died of natural causes after an extended hospitalization at Howard University Hospital.

I am deeply saddened by the passing today of my dear friend and mentor, Dorothy Irene Height, former Continued on A7

Public Aid Authorities in Murder Case

McLarney of the Baltimore City Police Departments Homicide Unit in a press conference Thursday evening. I think the victims

Many celebrations were held in honor of the 85th birthday of Dr. Dorothy I. Height, seated, CEO and president of the National Council of Negro Women. At the party held at NCNW headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue, on her actual birthday, March 24, 1997, were from left, Norma Stewart and Secretary of Labor Designate Alexis Herman.

One Plus One has equaled more than Baltimore City bargained for, according to solid waste workers. In an effort to save money, the One Plus One trash and recycling pickup program

You got people who are complaining about the rats because of the one-day pickup.
trash and recycling removal once a weekwas implemented under the expectation that the city would also become cleaner and greener. But disgruntled solid waste workers say the opposite has occurred, and that the number of on-the-job injuries has increased. they illegally dump it; I see it all the time. The current system of waste and recycling collection is a product of former mayor Sheila Dixons administration and its working very well, according to Valentina

City Police have arrested two suspects linked to the April 8 murder of Charles Bowman at Yau Brothers Carry Out at 2901 Greenmount Ave. Troy Taylor, 19, turned himself in to authorities late Wednesday. Michael Raphael Hunter, 18, was arrested Thursday afternoon following several anonymous calls from the Waverly area to the citys crime hotline. Police say those tips ultimately produced a witness. We did receive more information than what we would normally [get] in cases like this, said Maj. Terrence

reputation had a lot to do with the closing of this case. Bowmans daughter Sandra Vanwright agreed, Continued on A6

April 28, 2010 AFRO American Newspapers - Dorothy I. Height Commemorative Edition

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Dorothy Height, carrying notes in this 2004 photo, shows she is keeping up the pace of her work.

tracks. It was, after all, for young AfricanAmericans females, as well as males, who were bombarded daily with negative images that Dr. Height founded the Black Family Reunion in 1986. We are not a problem people; we are a people with problems, Dr. Height had said. We have historic strengths; we have survived because of family. No one can write a better eulogy for the glue that with quiet dignity held the male-dominated civil right leadership together than Dr. Height herself. I want to be remembered as someone who used herself and anything she could touch to work for justice and freedomI want to be remembered as one who tried. Dr. Height did more than try; Dr. Height succeeded. Her lifelong service to others speaks volumes for her fruitful crusades to secure basic human rights and dignity of I want to be remembered as someone all Americans, especially African Americans. who used herself and anything she could From the time Dr. touch to work for justice and freedom I Height was Veronicas age, she fought to rid want to be remembered as one who tried. this country of gender

inequity and racial injustice that she herself suffered not only at the prejudiced hands of Whites but also sometimes by men of her own race and stature. Though she bore no children, she always worked to improve young lives as an educator, a social worker for New York City, of the Young Womens Christian Association (YWCA), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). When you come into the world with a name symbolizing a majestic California redwood, you know youve got mighty tall orders to fill. Dr. Dorothy Irene Height reached far above that inherited challenge. Civil rights advocate Dorothy Height is applauded after reIndeed tall timber has ceiving the Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda in Washington March 24, 2004. Height, fallen. While we mourn who turned 92, served more than 30 years as the president of her passing, we celebrate the National Council of Negro Women, an organization dediDr. Heights long, majestic cating to uplifting black women and their communities. life and are mindful that the best way to honor her heroic legacy is to continue Dr. Heights humanitarian quest.

AFRO File Photo

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak