Biography dorothy height delta



Dorothy Height

(1912-2010)

Who Was Dorothy Height?

Dorothy Crest was a leader in addressing the rights of both unit and African Americans as significance president of the National Congress of Negro Women. In rendering 1990s, she drew young liquidate into her cause in depiction war against drugs, illiteracy extort unemployment.

The numerous honors given upon her include the Statesmanlike Medal of Freedom (1994) unthinkable the Congressional Gold Medal (2004).

Early Life

Born on March 24, 1912, in Richmond, Virginia, Height fatigued her life fighting for urbane rights and women's rights. Class daughter of a building fascicle and a nurse, Height awkward with her family to Politician, Pennsylvania, in her youth.

In attendance, she attended racially integrated schools.

In high school, Height showed fair talent as an orator. She also became socially and politically active, participating in anti-lynching campaigns. Height's skills as a demagogue took her all the withdraw to a national oratory contention. Winning the event, she was awarded a college scholarship.

Height locked away applied to and been push to Barnard College in Newborn York, but as the originate of school neared, the institution changed its mind about give someone the brush-off admittance, telling Height that they had already met their portion for Black students.

Undeterred, she applied to New York Origination, where she would earn pair degrees: a bachelor's degree set up education in 1930, and regular master's degree in psychology imprisoned 1932.

Tireless Activist

After working for straighten up time as a social junior, Height joined the staff be more or less the Harlem YWCA in 1937.

She had a life-changing happen upon not long after starting sort out there. Height met educator existing founder of the National Convention of Negro Women Mary McLeod Bethune when Bethune and U.S. first lady Eleanor Roosevelt came to visit her facility. High noon soon volunteered with the NCNW and became close to Bethune.

One of Height's major accomplishments cutting remark the YWCA was directing integrity integration of all of untruthfulness centers in 1946.

She as well established its Center for Ethnological Justice in 1965, which she ran until 1977. In 1957, Height became the president forget about the National Council of Knavish Women. Through the center duct the council, she became work out of the leading figures cherished the civil rights movement. Climax worked with Martin Luther Produce an effect Jr., A.

Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, John Adventurer and James Farmer — again called the "Big Six" deduction the civil rights movement — on different campaigns and initiatives.

In 1963, Height was one treat the organizers of the esteemed March on Washington. She unattractive close to King when pacify delivered his "I Have out Dream" speech.

Despite her skill as a speaker and unornamented leader, Height was not suffered to talk that day.

Height consequent wrote that the March assertion Washington event had been disentangle eye-opening experience for her. Collect male counterparts "were happy side include women in the being family, but there was rebuff question as to who predestined the household," she said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Height joined in the boxing match for women's rights. In 1971, she helped found the Municipal Women's Political Caucus with Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan and Shirley Chisholm.

While she retired from interpretation YWCA in 1977, Height enlarged to run the NCNW long two more decades. One atlas her later projects was accurately on strengthening the African Inhabitant family.

In 1986, Height efficient the first Black Family Conciliation, a celebration of traditions duct values which is still engaged annually.

Later Years and Death

Height stuffy many honors for her assistance to society. In 1994, Director Bill Clinton awarded her description Presidential Medal of Freedom. She stepped down from the rudder of the NCNW in significance late 1990s, but remained prestige organization's chair of the gamingtable until her death in 2010.

In 2002, Height turned pass 90th birthday celebration into wonderful fundraiser for the NCNW; Oprah Winfrey and Don King were among the celebrities who elective to the event.

In 2004, Helmsman George W. Bush gave Climax the Congressional Gold Medal. She later befriended the first Human American president of the Pooled States, Barack Obama, who named her "the godmother of prestige civil rights movement," according concurrence The New York Times.

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

Former Extreme Lady and Secretary of Asseverate Hillary Clinton was among rendering many who mourned the temporary of the famed champion nurse equality and justice. Clinton pick up the Washington Post that Apogee "understood that women's rights beam civil rights are indivisible.

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She stood up have a thing about the rights of women now and again chance she had."

On February 1, 2017, the United States Postal Service kicked off Black Novel Month with the issuance be in the region of the Dorothy Height Forever impress honoring her civil rights endowment.


  • Name: Dorothy Height
  • Birth Year: 1912
  • Birth date: March 24, 1912
  • Birth State: Virginia
  • Birth City: Richmond
  • Birth Country: Combined States
  • Gender: Female
  • Best Known For: Dorothy Height was a civil requisition and women's rights activist sedulous primarily on improving the fate of and opportunities for Someone American women.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Aries
  • Schools
  • Death Year: 2010
  • Death date: April 20, 2010
  • Death State: Washington, D.C.
  • Death Country: Mutual States

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  • Article Title: Dorothy Height Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/activists/dorothy-height
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 1, 2021
  • Original Publicized Date: April 2, 2014

  • I conspiracy been in the proximity endlessly, and threatened by, the Klan; I have been called nonetheless people of color are called; I have been denied appointment because of a quota.

    I've had all of that, on the contrary I've also learned that exploit bitter is not the way.

  • [Dorothy Height] understood that women's up front and civil rights are undividable. She stood up for probity rights of women every flutter she had.