Dorothy Height

Hello, my name is Dorothy Height. I was born on March 24th, 1912, in Richmond, Virginia, but my family moved north to a small town in Pennsylvania when I was young. Even as a girl, I knew I wanted to help make the world a fairer place. I loved to speak and share my ideas, and in high school, I even won a national public speaking contest! That victory came with a college scholarship, and I was so excited to attend Barnard College in New York City. But when I arrived in 1929, they told me they couldn't let me in. The school had a rule that they only allowed two Black students each year, and they had already accepted two others. I was heartbroken, but I didn't give up. I took my acceptance letter to New York University, and they welcomed me. That experience taught me a powerful lesson: when one door closes, you find another one to open.

I loved my time at New York University, and I earned both my bachelor's degree in 1932 and a master's degree in educational psychology just one year later, in 1933. I began my career as a social worker, helping families in a New York City neighborhood called Harlem. In 1937, I started working with the YWCA, the Young Women's Christian Association. That same year, something amazing happened. I was asked to help welcome the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, to a meeting. At that meeting, I also met the incredible Mary McLeod Bethune, a famous educator and activist who had started her own school and founded an organization called the National Council of Negro Women, or NCNW. Meeting these two powerful women inspired me so much. They showed me what was possible. I dedicated myself to my work at the YWCA, traveling the country to push for an end to segregation and to make sure all women, no matter their race, were treated with respect and given the same opportunities.

In 1957, I was elected president of the National Council of Negro Women, the very organization started by my mentor, Mary McLeod Bethune. It was a great honor, and I would lead the NCNW for the next forty years. Our goal was to fight for the rights of African American women and their families. During the 1960s, I worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. People sometimes called them the 'Big Six,' and I was often the only woman in the room helping to plan our strategies for justice and equality. I was one of the main organizers of the famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. I was so proud to stand on that stage and see a quarter of a million people gathered to demand change. But while I had a seat on the stage, none of the women who worked so hard for the movement were asked to give a major speech. That moment reminded me that my work wasn't just about fighting for racial equality, but for gender equality, too. I had to make sure women's voices were heard.

As leader of the NCNW, I helped create programs that made a real difference. For example, in 1964, I started a project called 'Wednesdays in Mississippi.' We brought together Black and white women from the North and South to have conversations, build friendships, and work together to overcome prejudice in one of the most segregated states. My work wasn't just in the United States; I traveled all over the world to countries in Asia, Africa, and South America, speaking out for the rights of women everywhere. My life's work was to build bridges between people. I was so humbled when my country recognized my efforts. In 1994, President Bill Clinton awarded me the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in 2004, I received the Congressional Gold Medal. These are two of the highest honors a civilian can receive in the United States.

I lived a long, full life dedicated to service, and I was blessed with so many years to do the work I loved. I lived to be 98 years old. Today, people remember me as the 'godmother of the civil rights movement' because I spent my life fighting for equality for all people. I always believed that we are all part of one big human family. My hope is that my story inspires you to use your own voice, to stand up for what is right, and to work to make your community and the world a better, fairer place for everyone.