“If the time is not ripe, we must ripen the time”-Dr. Height



We at IWF would like to express our sadness at the loss of a pioneer and activist of the civil rights movement, Dr. Dorothy Height, who died today at the age of 98. A woman of valor, Dr. Height fought for equal rights for both African Americans and women. She was president of the National Council of Negro women for 40 years and was awarded the presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton in 1994.


In addition to being a passionate civil rights activist, Dr. Height was committed to real education reform. IWF was privileged to have Dr. Height in the audience of our MSNBC Town Hall “About our Children” this past September.


Dr. Height was once quoted saying, “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.”  For sure, Dr. Height not only tried, but achieved. She will be remembered as the heart and soul of the civil rights movement.  While she has passed, her cause of justice and educational opportunity has not, and we know her legacy will live on. 


What others have said about the loss of Dr. Height:


The Washington Informer


CNN


NBC-Washington


National Council of Negro Women


Reuters   


The Washington Post