Inspired by Dorothy Height the “glue” of the movement

Inspired by Dorothy Height, a civil rights leader and the “glue” of the movement, who never drew the media attention that conferred celebrity and instant recognition of some of the other civil rights leaders of her time.

Ms. Dorothy Height is often described as the “glue” that held the family of black civil rights leaders together. She did much of her work out of the public spotlight, in quiet meetings and conversations. Height was widely connected at the top levels of power and influence in government and business.

She was a key figure in the struggles for school desegregation, voting rights, employment opportunities and public accommodations in the 1950s and 1960s. She was also energetic in her efforts to overcome gender bias, and much of that work predated the women’s rights movement.

Dorothy Height was the president of the National Council of Negro Women, an umbrella organization that consists of civic, church, educational, labor, community, and professional groups and in the 1990s. She drew young people into her cause in the war against drugs, illiteracy, and unemployment.

Inspired by Dorothy Height’s years of activism

Earlier in life, Height applied to and was accepted to Barnard College in New York. But as the start of school neared, the college changed its mind about her admittance. They told Height that they had already met their quota for black students.

Not to be daunted, she applied to New York University, where she would earn two degrees. One, a bachelor’s degree in education in 1930 and a master’s degree in psychology in 1932.

In 1963, Height was one of the organizers of the famed March on Washington. She stood close to Martin Luther King Jr. when he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Despite her skills as a speaker and a leader, Height was not invited to talk that day.

Her male counterparts “were happy to include women in the human family, but there was no question as to who headed the household,” she said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Dorothy Height established the Center for Racial Justice in 1965. In 1971, she helped found the National Women’s Political Caucus.

Inspired by Dorothy Height’s National Recognition

The numerous honors bestowed upon her include the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1994) and the Congressional Gold Medal (2004).

On February 1, 2017, the United States Postal Service kicked off Black History month with the issuance of the Dorothy Height Forever stamp. This stamp honors her civil rights legacy.

She died on April 20, 2010, in Washington, D.C.

Dorothy Height will always be remembered as a champion for equality and justice. She was a beacon for young women to strive for excellence and to achieve their goals.

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