Honoring the Legacy Dr. Dorothy Height
The civil rights icon blazed a path for equality.
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Remembering an Icon - Civil rights icon Dr. Dorothy Height, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 98, helped blaze a path for equality during her lifetime. Her accomplishments are highlighted each year during BET's Leading Women Defined summit, where her legacy of humanitarianism continues on. Keep reading to learn more about her groundbreaking journey. — Britt Middleton
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Early Beginnings - Born in 1912 in Richmond, Virginia, and raised in Pennsylvania, Height was admitted into Barnard College in 1929 but was turned away because the school wouldn't allow more than two Black women. She ended up going to New York University instead and earning a bachelor’s degree in education in 1933 and a master’s in psychology two years later. She did postgraduate work at Columbia University and the New York School of Social Work. (Photo: General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church)
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Early Career - In 1937, while working at the Harlem YWCA, she met famed educator Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of the National Council of Negro Women, and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who came to speak at one of the organization’s meetings. She joined the organization the same year, thus starting her career in the civil rights movement fighting for equality for both Blacks and women. (Photo: Express Newspapers/Getty Images)
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Leadership - In 1944, she joined the national staff of the YWCA and from 1947 to 1956, she served as the National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She remained an active member of the sorority throughout her life. (Photo: Stephen J. Boitano/Getty Images)
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World Traveler - Over her career, she became known for her international humanitarianism to expand the work of the YWCA. In 1952, Height traveled to India, serving as visiting professor at the University of Delhi School of Social Work, which was founded by the YWCAs of India, Burma and Ceylon. (Photo: Wikicommons)
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National Council of Negro Women - In 1957, Height was named president of the National Council of Negro Women. She held the position for 40 years. "I hope not to work this hard all the rest of my life," she said when she left her post in 1997. "But whether it is the council, whether it is somewhere else, for the rest of my life, I will be working for equality, for justice, to eliminate racism, to build a better life for our families and our children." (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Next to King - Height was just a few feet from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington in 1963. “He spoke longer than he was supposed to speak,” she recalled in a 1997 Associated Press interview. But she knew the speech would have lasting effects for generations to come because “it gripped everybody.”(Photo: AP Photo/File)
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Voice for Black Women - Often considered one of the few female voices of the civil rights movement, Height encouraged President Dwight D. Eisenhower to desegregate schools and President Lyndon B. Johnson to appoint African-American women to government. (Photo: Susan Biddle/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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Medal of Freedom - In 1994, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton for her work as a civil rights activist. (Photo: JOYCE NALTCHAYAN/AFP/Getty Images)
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More Honors - And 10 years later, in 2004, President George W. Bush awarded her the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor presented by the United States Congress. (Photo: REUTERS/Larry Downing /Landov)
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Honors From Barnard - In 2004, she was recognized as an honorary alumnus by the school that had initially turned her away as a youth, Barnard College, receiving the honor during its commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Above, Dr. Height was joined by Don King, Al Sharpton, Oprah Winfrey, Marion Barry, and Danny Glover at the Uncommon Height Gala, honoring Height's achievements, in 2002. (Photo: Manny Ceneta/Getty Images)
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Brought to the Stage - In 2005, a musical based on her memoirs, “Open Wide the Freedom Gates” debuted. The project showcased her perspective on the civil rights movement as well as an insider’s point of view on her mentors Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Style Staples - Often adorned with sparkling rhinestones and voluminous bows, her lushly colored hats became her trademark style. In 2005, dozens were featured in an exhibit at the National Council of Negro Women's annual Black Family Reunion in Washington, D.C. She founded the BFR in 1986. (Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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Leading Woman - In 2010, Height attended BET's annual Leading Women Defined conference in Washington, D.C. The conference brings together prominent African-American women to find positive solutions to issues impacting the Black community. The annual Dorothy Height Luncheon honors individuals who carry on her message of humanitarianism and equality. (Photo: Astrid Riecken/PictureGroup)