Dr. Dorothy Irene Height (1912 - 2010)
By: April Burgos and Aricelies Gonzalez
Major Achievements
- In 1946, Height directed the integration of all the YWCA centers and established its Center for Racial Justice in 1965.
- In 1963, Height was one of the organizers of the March in Washington and stood beside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he delivered his "I have a dream speech".
- In 1966, NCNW achieved tax-exempt status.
- In 1970, Height established the Women's Center for Education and Career Advancement in New York City to prepare women for entry level jobs.
- In 1971, Height helped found the National Women's Political Caucus.
- In 1974, NCNW dedicated the statue of Mary McLeod Bethune in Lincoln Park, Washington D C; the first woman on public land in the Nation's Capital and to an African American or woman of any race.
- In 1986 Height established and organized the Black Family Reunion Celebration which purpose was to reinforce the historic strengths and traditional values of the Black family.
- Height recieved various awards for her work but her most notable awards were the Presidential Medal of Freedom given to her by President Clinton in 1994 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004, both of which are considered the highest civilian honors.
- Height has also received 36 honorary Doctorates.
Impact on social welfare/social work
- Dorothy Height had a major impact on social work. She was an important leader in the Civil Rights Movement and has fought for human rights and equality for years.
- Her endless fight for women's rights and civil rights led to the the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act in 2009. This act was meant to create a national commission that studies the impact of social work interventions, and to fund social work training and research grants to maximize the abilities of social workers so they can better serve individuals, families, communities, etc.
- “I want to be remembered as someone who used herself and anything she could touch to work for justice and freedom.... I want to be remembered as one who tried."
Pictures of Dorothy Height
Height died April 20th, 2010
How her contribution is reflected in social work/social policy today
Early Life and Education
- Today, Dorothy Height is seen as an important figure in both social work and political issues such as women's rights, civil rights, and human rights.
- Height influenced social work and society today by advocating for equality and more diversity. Because of this, more minorities are able to find more jobs and companies are pushing for more diverse work settings.
- Height also pushed for equality for women and helped empower women to stand up for their rights and become part of the political process by helping find the National Women's Political Caucus with several other women.
A video on Dorothy Height
- Dorothy Irene Height was born on March 24, 1912 in Richmond, Virginia.
- Her father was a building contractor and her mother was a nurse.
- The family moved to Rankin, Pennsylvania when she was young.
- In high school, Height immediately showed talent as an orator and competed in a national competition earning her a college scholarship.
- She graduated Rankin high school in 1929 and was accepted to Bernard College in New York and was going to attend when the College deterred her admittance saying that they already met the quota.
- From there Height applied to NYU and earned a bachelors degree in education in 1930 and later a master's in psychology in 1932.
- After graduating, Height took part in post graduate work in Colombia University and New York school of Social Work.
Influences
- A major influence in Dorothy Height's life was her parents because of their work in various organizations and the value they placed on being involved with them. However, her mother was an even bigger influence because she helped her to realize that she was not in competition with anyone but herself so Height felt a responsibility to other people. Her mother also helped to prepare her in a world full of discrimination.
- It was in 1933 that height became the leader of the United Christian Youth Movement that shifted her career.
- Height became involved advocacy for women's rights such as equal pay and civil rights such as the prevention of lynching.
- In 1937 when Height joined the Young Women's Christian Association, she met Mary McLeod who was the founder of the National Council of Negro Women when she was escorting first lady Eleanor Roosevelt to her meeting and was invited by her to join NCNW to advocate for Women's rights to equal pay, education, and employment.
What we learned
- We learned what an important figure Height was in her stance of Women's rights and Civil Rights.
- It wasn't known to us that Height stood by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he made his speech in Washington and we probably would've never known that she was a part of it and that she was actually one of the people who organized it.
- Also, the event in Washington probably wouldn't have had as big of an impact as it did if Height hadn't been there to organize it. Therefore, the workforce and society in general probably wouldn't be as diverse and accepting of minorities and women as it is today.
References
- Dorothy Irene Height. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 06:37, Nov 17, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/dorothy-height-40743
- NCNW's Chairwoman | NCNW | Dr. Dorothy I. Height. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ncnw.org/about/height.htm
- Explorations in Black Leadership. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.virginia.edu/publichistory/bl/index.php?uid=17
- Dr. Dorothy I. Height Racial Justice Award. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ywcalakecounty.org/site/c.bjJULfNPJiL6H/b.8360685/k.5F1/Dr_Dorothy_I_Height_Racial_Justice_Award.htm
- Social Work Reinvestment Act - 111th Congress. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.socialworkreinvestment.org/SWRI/default.html