Dorothy Height, known as “the godmother of the civil rights movement” and a hero to many Americans, passed away yesterday at 98 years old. Her passing certainly brings much sadness to all those who remember her seven decades of relentless advocacy for racial equality. But in celebrating the life she lived, Americans are also reminded of the crucial but often overlooked role of women in the civil rights movement.
In the 1930s, Height was already ahead of her time. When she joined the YWCA in her very early twenties, she decided to take on the most difficult question the organization was facing at the time: the issue of race. She immediately began pushing for an interracial charter within the organization – one that would, for example, end the practice of holding separate conferences for black and white leaders.
In her earliest years of advocacy, her promising future as a steadfast, courageous leader was already very clear. Despite the obstacles she faced, whether the YWCA leaders in the South refusing to meet with her or others threatening her with her life, she remained outspoken, active, and undefeated.
Her efforts were very quickly noticed by powerful and influential figures at the time. Marcy MacLeod Bethune, founder of the National Council of Negro Women, asked Height to join them when she was only 25 years of age. In no time, she became the president of the council and would remain so for 41 years. Her initiatives to improve the life of women during that time are endless. For example, she organized community advocacy trainings for thousands of women, be they housewives, workers, or students. These women would then return to their communities and push for better housing, schools, and stores. She also organized “Wednesdays in Mississippi” – a program that gathered Northern white and black women in different Southern locations for a dialogue aimed at reducing tensions. Her most visible accomplishment is the creation of the Black Family Reunion Celebration – a three-day cultural event in Washington, D.C. which aimed to counter the negative images of the African-American family.
Height’s charisma reached the highest ranks of the civil rights movement. During her time in the Office of Racial Justice at the YWCA, she joined the movement’s group of key leaders, known as the “Big Six.” The group included King, Wilkins, James Farmer, John Lewis, Philip Randolph, and Whitney Young. Today, many would argue that the group should have been called the “Big Seven” as Height was just as important a member, but was merely overlooked because she was a woman. Despite the male resistance, Height’s service at the highest ranks allowed her to witness every march and stepping stone in the movement. In addition, it allowed her to raise the importance of issues affecting women and children including child care and education.
Height once summed up her purpose as an attempt to help all African-American women escape the plight that was unparalleled – that of the “triple bind of racism, sexism, and poverty.” Such a statement is a true inspiration for a women’s organization like WCI. It reminds us that, first of all, gender issues cannot be addressed on their own as they are often both a cause and a product of greater societal ills like racism or poverty. She also demonstrated the importance of the women’s participation in solving these problems as they bring to the table unique peace-building capabilities and experiences that are necessary in any social movement for justice and equality.
You can access a detailed biography of Dorothy Height’s accomplishments at the following link: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-dorothy-height-20100421,0,2766418.story?page=1.
