Saturday, April 24, 2010

Dr. Dorothy Height 1912-2010 Someday We"ll All Be Free


In a forest of trees ,there are always trees that stand out from the rest. These trees are known for the regal bearing that they possess.These trees are the foundation of the ecosysytem that supplies comfort to other living creatures in the forest.For it is written when a elder dies we have a lost a tree.This week we lost two trees with the deaths of Dr. Dorothy I.Height and Dr. Benjamin C. Hooks.

Dr.Dorothy Height was born March 24 ,1912 in Richmond,Virginia.Her childhood was spent in the Pittsburgh area.Upon graduating from high school she was accepted to Barnard College,one of the Seven Sister Ivy league schools.Barnard College refused her admission and she attended New York University.

Dr.Height lived a full life from partying with famed entertainer W.C. Handy to proofreading Marcus Garvey's newspaper,"The Negro World".Ms.Height 's first social activism was her involvement in the street protests for economic justice led by the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Sr.,pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, and the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who later represented Harlem in the U.S. House of Representatives.




Dr .Dorothy Height was an woman who influenced millions through her work in her sorority Delta Sigma Theta Inc.where she served as the 10th president from 1947-1956.
Afterwards Dr.Height served as president of the National Council of Negro Women 1957-1998.Upon her retirement she was named Chair and President Emerita.



Known as the "Godmother of the Civil Rights struggle" she was one of the architects of the first March on Washington in 1963 .Dr. Height was an contemporary and equal to the others who organized the march,such as Dr.King,John Lewis,and A.Phillip Randolph .Dr. Height and was there for each subsequent commemoration marches,included being one of the few women at the "Million Man March".

Dr.Height counseled thirteen presidents from President Roosevelt to President
Obama.Her civil rights battles underscore the continuous struggle that has encompassed black America.From petitioning the end of lynching with Roosevelt to health care legislation with Obama."At every major effort for social progressive change,Dorothy Height has been there,"Congressman John Lewis said in the Washington Post.

President Clinton awarded Ms.Height the Presidential Medal of Freedom and President George W.Bush awarded Ms.Height the Congressional Gold Medal among the many awards and honors.The NAACP awarded her the Spingarn Medal,known for her ardent feminism she was also inducted in the National Women's Hall of Fame.



5 Comments:

Anonymous Rachel Stallworth said...

Dr. Height really left a legacy for us as a black people to follow. She was a very classy looking lady. I especially like the hat. the details of her life make one wonder how did this beautiful rose bloom and while being planted in the middle of weeds.

April 24, 2010 at 3:19 PM  
Anonymous Shirley Jackson said...

Thank you for my recognizing my Soror.

April 24, 2010 at 5:28 PM  
Anonymous Kenya said...

Beautiful tribute...thank you~

April 25, 2010 at 9:28 AM  
Anonymous GiGi Perry-Mullins said...

Thank you for the beautiful tribute of my Soror. I really enjoyed it. She really accomplished many things in her lifetime. Thanks again Ed for the tribute

April 28, 2010 at 6:58 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

A true blessing and a blessing indeed from God to His people and the world. Bless her soul.

May 1, 2010 at 7:42 AM  

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