Historical Highway Markers

Dorothy Height (1912-2010)

SA-87

Dorothy I. Height, civil rights leader, was born in Richmond and lived in this neighborhood until 1916. For more than 50 years she worked for racial justice and gender equality. Serving on the national staff of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) from 1944 to 1977, Height fostered interracial dialogue and moved the YWCA toward full integration. As president of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years, she promoted economic development and voting rights and advised United States presidents. She worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was a chief organizer of the March on Washington in 1963. Height was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994.

Department of Historic Resources, 2010

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References/Bibliographic Citation:

“Delta Sigma Theta Soroity Mourns Beloved 10th National President and Civil Rights Matriarch, Dr. Dorothy Irene Height.” News Release. Greetings! Welcome to the Official Website of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Web. 24 May 2010. <http://www.deltasigmatheta.org>. "Dorothy Height: Biographical Sketch." African American National Biography. Ed. Henry L. Gates Jr. and Evelyn B. Higginbotham. Vol. 4 (Oxford UP, 2008), 172-75. "Dorothy Height: Biographical Sketch." Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. Ed. Jack Salzman, David L. Smith, and Cornel West. Vol. 3 (New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1996), 1263-264. "NCNW's Chairwoman | NCNW | Dr. Dorothy I. Height." African American Women's Organization | National Council of Negro Women | NCNW. Web. 19 May 2010. <http://www.ncnw.org/about/height.htm>. "Statement by the President on the Passing of Dr. Dorothy Height." The White House. Web. 24 May 2010. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/statement-president-passing-dr-dorothy-height>.