[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 144 (Wednesday, October 15, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H9411-H9416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AWARDING A CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO DR. DOROTHY HEIGHT IN
RECOGNITION OF HER MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATION
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 1821) to award a congressional gold medal to Dr.
Dorothy Height in recognition of her many contributions to the Nation.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 1821
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Dr. Dorothy Irene Height was born March 24, 1912, to
James Edward Height and Fannie (Borroughs) Height in
Richmond, Virginia and raised in Rankin, Pennsylvania.
(2) Dr. Height is recognized as one of the preeminent
social and civil rights activists of her time, particularly
in the struggle for equality, social justice, and human
rights for all peoples.
(3) Beginning as a civil rights advocate in the 1930s, she
soon gained prominence through her tireless efforts to
promote interracial schooling, to register and educate
voters, and to increase the visibility and status of women in
our society.
(4) She has labored to provide hope for inner-city children
and their families, and she can claim responsibility for many
of the advances made by women and African-Americans over the
course of this century.
(5) Her public career spans over 65 years.
(6) Dr. Height was a valued consultant on human and civil
rights issues to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and she
encouraged President Eisenhower to desegregate the Nation's
schools and President Johnson to appoint African-American
women to sub-Cabinet posts.
(7) Dr. Height has been President of the National Council
of Negro Women (NCNW) since 1957, a position to which she was
appointed upon the retirement of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, one
of the most influential African-American women in United
States history.
(8) The National Council of Negro Women is currently the
umbrella organization for 250 local groups and 38 national
groups engaged in economic development and women's issues.
(9) Under Dr. Height's leadership, the National Council of
Negro Women implemented a number of new and innovative
programs and initiatives, including the following:
(A) Operation Woman Power, a project to expand business
ownership by women and to provide funds for vocational
training.
(B) Leadership training for African-American women in the
rural South.
(C) The Black Family Reunion, a nationwide annual gathering
to encourage, renew and celebrate the concept of not only the
Black family but all families.
(D) The Women's Center for Education and Career Advancement
to empower minority women in nontraditional careers.
(E) The Bethune Museum and Archives, a museum devoted to
African-American women's history.
(10) Dr. Height has been at the forefront of AIDS
education, both nationally and internationally; under her
direction, the National Council of Negro Women established
offices in West Africa and South Africa and worked to improve
the conditions of women in the developing world.
(11) Dr. Height has been central in the success of 2 other
influential women's organizations, as follows:
(A) As president and executive board member of Delta Sigma
Theta, Dr. Height left the sorority more efficient and
globally focused with a centralized headquarters.
(B) Her work with the Young Women's Christian Association
(YWCA) led to its integration and more active participation
in the civil rights movement.
(12) As a member of the ``Big Six'' civil rights leaders
with Whitney Young, A. Phillip Randolph, Martin Luther King,
Jr., James Farmer, and Roy Wilkins, Dr. Height was the only
female at the table when the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
and others made plans for the civil rights movement.
(13) Dr. Height is the recipient of many awards and
accolades for her efforts on behalf of women's rights,
including the following:
(A) The Spingarn Award, the NAACP's highest honor for civil
rights contributions.
(B) The Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President
Clinton.
(C) The John F. Kennedy Memorial Award from the National
Council of Jewish Women.
(D) The Ministerial Interfaith Association Award for her
contributions to interfaith, interracial, and ecumenical
movements for over 30 years;
(E) The Lovejoy Award, the highest recognition by the Grand
Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the
World for outstanding contributions to human relations.
(F) The Ladies Home Journal Woman of the Year Award in
recognition for her work for human rights.
(G) The William L. Dawson Award presented by the
Congressional Black Caucus for decades of public service to
people of color and particularly women.
(H) The Citizens Medal Award for distinguished service
presented by President Reagan.
(I) The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Freedom Medal awarded by
the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute.
(14) Dr. Dorothy Height has established a lasting legacy of
public service that has been an invaluable contribution to
the progress of this Nation.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on
behalf of the Congress, to Dr. Dorothy Irene Height a gold
medal of appropriate design in recognition of her many
contributions to the Nation.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the
presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of
the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the
``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the
Secretary.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the
Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the
gold medals
[[Page H9412]]
struck under section 2 at a price sufficient to cover the
costs of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of
machinery, and overhead expenses.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.
The medals struck under this Act are national medals for
purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby
authorized to be charged against the United States Mint
Public Enterprise Fund an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay
for the cost of the medal authorized under section 2.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of
duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in
the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. King) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Watt) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. King).
General Leave
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 1821, the
legislation under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume, and I rise in support of H.R. 1821, legislation introduced by
the gentlewoman from California, that would award the Congressional
Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor Congress can bestow, on the
prominent civil rights activist Dorothy Height.
Dorothy Height has been one of the most influential leaders in the
20th century, and even now in the 21st century, fighting for racial and
gender equality. Dedicating her entire life to breaking down the
immense barriers that divide race and class, Ms. Height stands side by
side with other civil rights heroes such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
and Rosa Parks.
Dorothy Height experienced racial and gender discrimination from an
early age and embarked on a lifelong effort to guarantee all Americans
their inalienable right of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Mr. Speaker, the Founding Fathers promised freedom and equality. Ms.
Height worked, and continues to work at the age of 91, to make them
come true for everyone.
To bring those promises to fruition, Ms. Height began her activist
career at the Young Women's Christian Association, the YWCA. Because of
her efforts, the once-segregated organization now serves as a model of
racial integration.
Mr. Speaker, Dorothy Height's contributions to the civil rights
movement certainly did not stop at the YWCA. She was also an active
member of the National Council of Negro Women, an umbrella group for
240 local and 31 national organizations working for black women's
rights. In 1957, she became president of the NCNW, and she worked
closely with Dr. King in virtually every major civil rights event in
the 1960s.
Mr. Speaker, the civil rights movement would hardly have been the
same without Dorothy Height. She organized voter education drives in
the North, and voter registration drives in the South. She helped plan
the 1963 march on Washington, and led an effort to protect activists
who ran freedom schools in Mississippi. For every civil rights effort,
large or small, Dorothy Height was there.
However, Ms. Height's activism delved even further into the obstacles
black Americans faced. She addressed important internal issues within
the black community, and she will ever be remembered as the person who
established the National Black Family Reunion Project to illustrate to
current generations the achievements of their ancestors and the
benefits of extended family.
Mr. Speaker, because of all her vital contributions to the
improvement of American democracy, the time has come, in fact it is
long overdue, for Congress to honor this remarkable woman. Dorothy
Height has devoted her life to expanding the American Dream to every
color, class, and gender. For her dedication, her deeds, and, most
important, her dream, I am proud to stand in support of this
legislation to award her the Congressional Gold Medal.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Watson), for introducing and being the lead sponsor of
the bill which would award a Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Dorothy
Height.
I cannot think of a time that I have felt more humble to be in
control of time and to pay tribute to a great individual. And I cannot
think of anybody that is living today that deserves a high honor of
this kind more than Dorothy Height. So it is a great pleasure for me to
be here and to have been asked to control time on our behalf.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman
from California (Ms. Watson), the original sponsor of the bill.
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time, and it is indeed a great honor to rise before this distinguished
body as the original sponsor of H.R. 1821, a bill to award a
Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Dorothy Height.
I first want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) and the
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) for their diligent work on
this bill, as well as staffers Joe Pinder and Jaime Lizarraga.
Dr. Height, who turned 91 earlier this year, continues to have an
active and distinguished career as a human rights activist and
humanitarian. She is recognized as the preeminent social and civil
rights activist of our time and is known as the grand dame of America's
civil rights movement.
Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that there is any recipient of a
Congressional Gold Medal whose career has been as long and as
productive as Dr. Dorothy Height's. It spans almost three-quarters of a
century, and Dorothy Height is still going strong into the 21st
century.
As a young woman, at the age of 25, Dr. Height joined forces with
Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of the National Council of Negro Women, in
her quest for women's full and equal employment and education
advancement. During her tenure with the legendary Mary McLeod Bethune,
Dr. Height's career as a preeminent civil rights activist began to
unfold as she tirelessly worked to prevent lynching, desegregate the
armed forces, reform the criminal justice system, and create free
access to public facilities.
That same year, Dr. Height began her work with the national Young
Women's Christian Association of the USA. She rose quickly through
several leadership positions and developed numerous programs to promote
interracial and ecumenical education.
{time} 1615
Dr. Height is credited with developing strategies to ensure the
success of the YWCA's mission of providing equal opportunity and
facilities for women of all cultures, ethnicities and nationalities.
Dr. Height is considered one of the major leaders of the civil rights
movement of the 1960s. As one of the Big Six civil rights leaders, she
was the only woman at the table when Dr. Martin Luther King and others
made plans for the civil rights movement. Dr. Height was constantly
inspiring others, from the poor to world leaders, to achieve at the
highest level. As an adviser to Presidents through their First Ladies,
Dr. Height has effected significant change in the lives of not only
African American women, but all women and their loved ones. She
counseled Eleanor Roosevelt and prodded President Eisenhower to
desegregate the Nation's schools. And she pressed President Johnson to
appoint black women to sub-Cabinet posts. Dr. Height's many
achievements and her distinguished service to the Nation and the world
has earned her over 50 awards and honors from local and State
governments as well as the Federal Government. Some of them include the
following, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Award from the National Council
of Jewish Women; the Ministerial Interfaith Association Award; the
Lovejoy Award, the highest recognition by the Elks of the World; the
Ladies Home Journal ``Woman of the Year'' Award; the Congressional
Black Caucus's William L. Dawson Award for decades of
[[Page H9413]]
public service; the Citizens Medal Award presented by President Reagan
for her distinguished service to the Nation; the Franklin Delano
Roosevelt Freedom Medal; and the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award
presented by President Clinton.
Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor and humility that I proposed
legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Height. The
time is long past due to recognize and to pay tribute to the
significant works of this American treasure.
Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), ranking member of the
Committee on Financial Services.
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the willingness
of the gentleman from North Carolina to take management of this bill to
the floor and I want to join in thanking the gentlewoman from
California for giving us the opportunity to honor this extraordinary
woman, Dorothy Height.
No problem in the history of this country, in my judgment, comes
close to the problem of race in terms of its importance and the need
for us to respond. Having brought people against their will from Africa
hundreds of years ago and having subjected them, first to slavery, and
then to a rigid and degrading system of official segregation, and then
to a very grudging and gradual retreat from that segregation system,
this Nation has to confront what I think is the saddest part of our
history, our treatment of people of African descent. I am pleased that
we have made the progress that we have made. Although, anyone who
thinks racism has been extirpated lives in a much too optimistic world,
but we have made progress. It is for that reason that it is so
important to honor Dorothy Height. She was born into a racist society.
She was born into a society in which national legislation, passed by
our predecessor Congresses, signed by Presidents, enforced by the
United States Supreme Court, segregated on the basis of race. And
everyone knows that ``separate but equal'' was never anything more than
a cruel joke. Separation came because people believed in inequality.
And Dorothy Height was born not only into that racist system, she was
born as a woman at a time when society was far less willing to
acknowledge the equality of women in the social and political sphere.
Facing that double handicap, she set out to help heal this society, to
cure the ills that have troubled us. Of course, she did not succeed
altogether, but no one that I know of has done more over this long and
distinguished lifetime of hers to fight against those evils, the evils
of prejudice, of segregation, of denying people the ability to live up
to their full potential.
One of the great honors of my life is that as I came along to join
this body and became actively involved as a member of the Committee on
the Judiciary and various civil rights fights, I got the chance to know
her, to work with her and to be inspired by her. I am particularly
proud, Mr. Speaker, that one of the latter things I did with Ms. Height
as she continues her efforts was to appear with her in her capacity as
chair of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, one of the great
institutions of our time and with the executive director, the very
distinguished and able Wade Henderson as they announced their
endorsement of legislation that would ban discrimination based on
sexual orientation, because I have found that people who have been
unfairly discriminated against, based on one characteristic of
themselves, understand why it is unfair to do that elsewhere, and it is
an example of the greatness of Dorothy Height, that later in her life,
well past her 80th birthday, she understood the importance not of
abandoning the fight for racial fairness which she continues, but of
taking on, also, the newer fight for opposing discrimination based on
sexual orientation.
I believe the great heroes of this society are those who have
undergone whatever was necessary to help us live up to the wonderful
ideals of that Constitution of 1787, and that was a Constitution which
stated an ideal better than the society lived up to the reality.
Realizing those ideals has been the most important part of our Nation's
history and no one, literally no one, has played a more important part
in that, no one has been tougher and more dedicated and more loving at
the same time in her insistence that the country live up to its own
best ideals than Dorothy Height. I thank the gentlewoman from
California for giving us a chance to acknowledge that.
Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson).
Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, certainly I would add my praise
and congratulations to the honorable gentlewoman from California for
bringing this incredible, this very vital and very necessary and much
deserved issue before the United States Congress, and that is to award
a Congressional Gold Medal to the Honorable Dorothy Height. Dorothy
Height, the president of the National Council of Negro Women, succeeded
in that position from an icon of this world, that was Dr. Mary McLeod
Bethune, who created the National Council of Negro Women, who was
adviser to several Presidents and so was Dorothy Height. It is not a
coincidence, I do not believe, that Dorothy's last name is Height,
because she has scaled great heights in this country to enable people
of color to get their rightful place at the tables of justice and equal
opportunity. There are countless branches of the National Council of
Negro Women around the country and around the world and their emphasis
is phenomenal. It is very scriptural in terms of doing for these, the
very least of these. In Indianapolis, we have a Mental Health Gift Lift
which allows the community to come together to give gifts to those who
are mentally challenged.
Mary McLeod Bethune, and then Dr. Height, talks about love, leaving
love as a testament. Dorothy Height is an individual that I feel very
blessed that I am able to touch her hand in my lifetime. She was there
when we conferred a medal on Rosa Parks. She was a very generous and
very giving person, a very inspirational individual, very visionary
individual in terms of how we could move this country forward in the
right way. The gentleman from Massachusetts talked about her being
there in the forefront so that we could ban injustices against people
of certain sexual orientations. That was a very bold move on her part,
but it was a very right move on her part. And that is what Dorothy
Height did. She lived not just because, she lives for a cause. There
are not too many people that I know who are more deserving of the
Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor that this House could
convey on an individual, than Dorothy Height.
I want to commend the gentlewoman from California for bringing this
matter to the House. It is much deserved. It is long overdue. I felt
compelled to come here and support her in this manner, for doing her
good work, commending somebody for their good work.
Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield for the purpose of making a unanimous
consent request to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos).
(Mr. LANTOS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my good friend for his
very important piece of legislation.
Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/4\ minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank the distinguished gentleman from
North Carolina for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this legislation that honors and
salutes a giant and to acknowledge my good friend the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Watson) for her leadership and insight on an effort
long overdue.
We are blessed to have the Dr. Dorothy Height, Dr. Dorothy Irene
Height, born on March 24, 1912, in Richmond, Virginia and raised in
Rankin, Pennsylvania. Many of us have had the opportunity to study Dr.
Height's history and contributions simply because she has given us the
greater part of her life in service. And so we could tell you that she
was a social justice activist, a civil rights activist, a servant of
the people, one who served a number of Presidents, humanitarian,
American, a hero, a great patriot. All of those are words without
motion, unless you get to know Dr. Dorothy Height. You will then be
captured by her charm, her energy, her insight, her intellect and her
compassion. I am honored to have had
[[Page H9414]]
the opportunity among others to be able to share in her vision. It is
wonderful to know that she can speak eloquently about Mary McLeod
Bethune, that she can speak to the concept of ownership amongst African
American people, having led the effort to put the first African
American-owned building on Pennsylvania Avenue just two blocks away
from the White House. You can see that she believes in women's rights,
and she acts upon women's rights. She believes in the empowerment of
minorities, and she acts upon the empowerment of minorities. She is
what has been called a glorious and wonderful champion of the great
leadership that we need and hope to have in the United States of
America.
And so, Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be here today because our
words are simply that, simple words, mere words. But if our presence on
the floor today commemorates the honor that is being given to Dr.
Dorothy Height, the leadership of the gentlewoman from California (Ms.
Watson), we are here then to be part of the following that salutes this
great leader and this great patriot. Dr. Height, we love you.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in unwavering support of H.R. 1821. Dorothy
Height's lifetime of achievement measures the liberation of Black
America, the advance of women's rights and a determined effort to lift
the poor and the powerless into the Halls of Power and influence in our
nation.
Dorothy Height began her career as a staff member of the YWCA in New
York City, becoming director of the Center for Racial Justice. She
became a volunteer with the National Council of Negro Women, when she
worked with NCNW founder Mary McLeod Bethune.
When Bethune died, Height became president, a position she continues
to hold. NCNW, an organization of national organizations and community
sections with outreach to four million women, develops model national
and international community-based programs, sent scores of women to
help in the Freedom Schools of the civil rights movement, and
spearheaded voter registration drives. Height's collaborative
leadership style brings together people of different cultures for
mutual benefit.
Because of Dorothy Height's commitment to the Black family, she has
hosted since 1986 the Black Family Reunion Celebration in which almost
10 million have participated.
Born in Richmond, Virginia, she moved with her parents to Ranklin,
Pennsylvania at an early age. Winner of a scholarship for her
exceptional oratorical skills, she entered New York University where
she earned the Bachelor and Master degrees in four years.
While working as a caseworker for the welfare department in New York,
Dr. Height joined the NCNW in 1937 and her career as a pioneer in civil
rights activities began to unfold. She served on the national staff of
the YWCA of USA from 1944 to 1977 where she was active in developing
its leadership training and interracial and ecumenical education
programs. In 1965 she inaugurated the Center for Racial Justice which
is still a major initiative of the National YWCA. She served as the
10th national president of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. from
1946 to 1957 before becoming president of the NCNW in 1958.
Working closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Roy Wilkins,
Whitney Young, A Philip Randolph and others, Dr. Height participated in
virtually all major civil and human rights events in the 1950's and
1960's. For her tireless efforts on behalf of the less fortunate,
President Ronald Reagan presented her the Citizens Medal Award for
distinguished service to the country in 1989.
Dr. Height is known for her extensive international and developmental
education work. She initiated the sole African American private
voluntary organization working in Africa in 1975, building on the
success of NCNW's assignments in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South
America.
In three decades of national leadership, she has served on major
policy-making bodies affecting women, social welfare, economic
development, and civil and human rights, and has received numerous
appointments and awards.
As president of NCNW, Dorothy Irene Height has an outstanding record
of accomplishments. As a self-help advocate, she has been instrumental
in the initiation of NCNW sponsored food, child care, housing and
career educational programs that embody the principles of self-
reliance. As a promoter of Black family life she conceived and
organized the Black Family Reunion Celebration in 1986 to reinforce the
historic strengths and traditional values of the African American
Family. Now in its ninth year, this multi-city cultural event has
attracted some 11.5 million people.
Dr. Dorothy I. Height's lifetime of achievement measures the
liberation of Black America, the brilliant advance of women's rights,
and the most determined effort to lift up the poor and the powerless.
Still fighting, pushing, and advocating, Dr. Dorothy Height--mother,
wife, grandmother, great-grandmother, doctor, civil/human rights
activist, and freedom fighter continues unrelentingly to serve our
country in the health and most meaningfully--the civic arena at the age
of 91.
Dr. Height is a commendable and formidable woman. She has whole-
heartedly devoted her life to public service, struggling for social
justice, the eradication and education of HIV/AIDS, unprivileged
children, equal rights, voting rights, women's rights, and education
opportunities for all citizens irrespective of color, ethnicity,
gender, disability, sexuality and other markers of difference.
She was the leading lady in the civil rights movement, sitting as the
only female on the planning table with Whitney Young, Dr. Martin Luther
King, James Farmer, A. Phillip Randolph, and Roy Wilkins. She has been
and continues to be emulated internationally. Needless to say, Dr.
Height is a jewel in the African American community and an influential
and exemplary leader in the country.
Many examples of her work stand out in our minds. To give just one--
under her leadership of the National Negro Women's Council, she
introduced and implemented many initiatives and programs geared towards
the betterment of the Afro-American community, the advancement of
minority women in all sectors of society, most notably, in business and
non-traditional careers. Serving in all capacities imaginable, she has
served distinguishably.
Dream giver and earth shaker, Dr. Dorothy Height has followed and
expanded on the original purpose of the National Council of Negro
Women, giving new meaning, new courage and pride to women, youth and
families everywhere. While most individuals resolve to retirement at
her current age, Dr. Dorothy Height continues to extend and commit
herself beyond measures; she has done so not for recognition or
national esteem, but as a labor of love. For the above-mentioned
reasons, it is our rightful duty to honor her in recognition of her
many priceless contributions to the civic growth of this nation and the
beautiful legacy she will leave by awarding her a congressional gold
medal.
{time} 1630
Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I think it bears saying that Dorothy Height,
who is a District resident, although she lived for many years in New
York, is indeed a great American leader among us and one of a kind.
There is no comparable leader in American life today because she was a
guiding light. She is about 90 years old, still going as strong as any
of us on this floor. She was a guiding light in the achievements we
have made thus far for equal rights in America today. At the 40th
anniversary on the March on Washington we just celebrated on August 23,
some of us noted that Dorothy Height had the same position. She was
president of the National Council of Negro Women then, but she was not
included in the leaders that put on the march because she was a woman,
and yet this is a woman who has stood for the rights of people of color
and women equally. She is unique in the sense that when particularly
black people were confused about whether one could be equally for women
and for African Americans, she was a leader to say there is no such
bifurcation in human rights.
Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, my mother used to say, and she was a wise person, that
we should honor people while we can or give them their flowers while
they can still smell them, and Dorothy Height is still among us. So it
is a great pleasure to be able to pay tribute to her while she can
still hear the words and read the words and understand the words, and
she has been with us through so many decades of service through a time
when she has had substantial impact on our history, through contact
with extraordinary people. In her recent autobiography called ``Open
Wide the Freedom Gates,'' she describes contacts with W.E.B. DuBois;
Marcus Garvey; Eleanor Roosevelt; Mary McLeod Bethune; Adam Clayton
Powell, Sr.; Langston Hughes; W.C. Handy; and a host of other people.
And she describes her involvement with the March on Washington as the
only female member who was kind of in the back room in the organizing
committee associated with that march.
I think she has contributed so much, and more recently her
organization of
[[Page H9415]]
the Black Family Reunion, with which my son was associated and got to
know her. Every time I see Dr. Dorothy Height now, she never asks how I
am doing. She is always asking about my son. So it is just a great
pleasure to pay tribute to and support the Congressional Gold Medal for
such a wonderful heroine.
There is no living person today who deserves this congressional merit
more than Dorothy Height. It is just a tremendous honor to be able to
pay tribute to her, and I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.
Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to
speak in favor of H.R. 1821 to award Dr. Dorothy Height the
Congressional Gold Medal. During the 107th session, I introduced H.
Res. 55 declaring a day acknowledging all of Dr. Height's stellar
achievements, and this legislation resulted in over one hundred mayors
across this country submitting proclamations to Dr. Height. We cannot
celebrate Dr. Height and her illustrious accomplishments enough. By
awarding her the Congressional Gold Medal, we are noting a life well
lived by a dynamic woman who at one time simultaneously held leadership
positions with the YWCA, the National Council of Negro Women and Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority. Dr. Height became known as the only woman among
the ``big six'' group of civil rights leaders including Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young and A. Phillip Randolph.
Always a pioneer on behalf of women's and civil rights overall, Dr.
Height became as well known abroad as she is here in the United States
for her efforts to build coalitions among women internationally. We
revere Dr. Height for advancing the National Council of Negro Women's
agenda in terms of developing model programs in the areas of teen
parenting, eradicating hunger, and career education. Dr. Height has
always advocated for the expansion of access and opportunities for poor
and marginalized people everywhere.
In 1989, President Reagan recognized Dr. Height's contributions to
society by awarding her the Citizens Medal award for distinguished
service to the nation, and she has also earned more than 50 honors from
local, state and national organizations. Her life is a living testimony
to the quest for an equitable society for all.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1821,
which awards the Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Dorothy Height in
recognition of her many outstanding and remarkable contributions to
bettering this Nation.
Born in 1912 in Richmond, Virginia Dr. Dorothy Irene Height
distinguished herself at an early age as a dedicated student with
exceptional oratorical skills. As a young girl she fearlessly and
vehemently stood up to the racist and sexist climate of the times. At
the age of 25 she heeded the call of her mentor, Mary McLeod Bethune,
founder of the National Council of Negro Women, and joined the struggle
for women's full and equal employment and educational advancement. She
has and continues to dedicate her life to the struggle for equality,
social justice, and human rights for all peoples.
Mr. Speaker, throughout her illustrious career as a civil rights
advocate, Dr. Height tirelessly worked to prevent lynching, encourage
voter registration, desegregate the armed forces, reform the criminal
justice system, and create equal access to public accommodations. Her
public career spans nearly 65 years. She was a valued advisor to First
Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and encouraged Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson
to desegregate the Nation's public schools and to appoint African
American women to sub-Cabinet positions. Since 1957 she has served as
President of the National Council of Negro Women, an umbrella
organization for 250 local groups and 38 national organizations
dedicated to economic development and women's issues.
Mr. Speaker, the numerous awards and accolades Dr. Height has
received over the years is a testimony to her invaluable contributions
to the progress of this nation. The NAACP has awarded her The Spingarn
Award, its highest honor. She is also the proud recipient of the John
F. Kennedy Memorial Award from the National Council of Jewish Women;
the Ministerial Interfaith Association Award; the Lovejoy Award; and
the Congressional Black Caucus' William L. Dawson Award for her decades
of public service to people of color and particularly women. However,
Dr. Height is not one to rest on her laurels. She continues to lead the
fight against social injustice and inequality and her profound love for
and dedication to our youth is unmatched. As a direct link to the civil
rights movement of the 1960s, Dr. Height continues to inspire future
generations of civil rights activists.
Mr. Speaker, what else is truly remarkable about this grand dame is
that at age 90 she does not plan on slowing down. And although she
spends much of her time in a wheelchair, she continues to stand up for
equality and social justice. I only hope and pray I have the same vigor
and fight in me at that age.
Once again, I am proud to stand before this body in support of H.R.
1821. I want to thank my esteemed colleague from the state of
California, the Honorable Diane Watson, for her leadership in
sponsoring this important piece of legislation. I urge my colleagues to
lend their support to this resolution and award Dr. Height our highest
accolade.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, what an awesome privilege for me to
have found myself in the presence of Dr. Dorothy Height--a brilliant
woman, a woman of profound courage and insight--some of my living
history as a woman, as person of African descent and as an American.
Mr. Speaker, by bestowing Dr. Height with a Congressional Gold Medal,
we honor this body, and I am pleased to be part of this effort.
Although Dr. Height is known most recently for her leadership role with
the National Council of Negro Women, her life accomplishments exemplify
her commitment for a better society for all individuals, especially for
African-Americans.
Under the direction of Dr. Height, the National Council for Negro
Women developed model programs on topics ranging from teenage parenting
to eradicating hunger, and established the Bethune Museum and Archives
for Black Women. The Bethune Museum is the first institution devoted to
the history of black women. Dr. Height founded the Center for Racial
Justice, served as President of the National Council of Negro Women and
the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and held several leadership positions
with the Young Women's Christian Association of America.
Beginning as a civil rights advocate in the 1930's, Dr. Height soon
gained prominence through her tireless efforts to promote interracial
schooling, to register and educate voters, and to increase the
visibility and status of women in our society. Dr. Height's devotion
and commitment to fight for social justice in this nation and
throughout the world has been unaffected by time. She has been at the
forefront of AIDS education, both nationally and internationally; under
her direction, the National Council of Negro Women established offices
in West Africa and South Africa and worked to improve the conditions of
women in developing countries.
Dr. Dorothy Height's work represents the true meaning of public
service. By awarding her with a Congressional God Medal, we honor a
lasting legacy of public service that has been an invaluable to the
progress of this Nation.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Dorothy Height is a steadfast
pioneer of women's rights and racial justice for people of color. She
has set an example of what can be achieved through commitment and group
activism.
As the fourth elected president of the National Council of Negro
Women (NCNW), Height led a crusade for justice for Black women. To help
strengthen the Black family, Height conceived of and organized the
Black Family Reunion Celebration which has been held here in
Washington, D.C. since 1986.
Under the leadership of Ms. Height, the NCNW achieved tax exempt
status; raised funds from thousands of women in support of erecting a
statue of Mary McLeod Bethune (NCNW's founder) in a federal park;
developed several model programs to combat teenage pregnancy and
address hunger in rural areas; and established the Bethune Museum and
Archives for Black women, the first institution devoted to Black
women's history. She has been instrumental in the initiation of NCNW
sponsored food, childcare, housing and career educational programs.
No stranger to political activism, in the 1960's, Height called on
NCNW to sponsor ``Wednesdays in Mississippi'' when interracial groups
of women would help out at Freedom schools and conduct voter
registration drives in the North and voter registration in the South.
She worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Roy Wilkins to prevent
lynching, desegregate the Armed Forces, reform the criminal justice
system, and provide equal access to public accommodations.
Dr. Dorothy Irene Height has a long legacy as a leader in the
struggle for equality and human rights. She through words and deeds
have proven her distinguished service to humanity and her many
contributions for equality, social justice and human rights for all
peoples. She is to be commended for her efforts.
I encouraged all my colleagues to support H.R. 1828 to award a
Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Dorothy Height in recognition of her
many contributions to the nation.
[[Page H9416]]
Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, thank you Congresswoman Watson for bringing
this resolution to the floor. I proudly stand here today to honor the
extraordinary accomplishments of Dr. Dorothy Irene Height.
Dr. Height's diligent service over the past 65 years has improved the
lives of countless people, not only in the United States, but across
the globe. Her dedication to the promotion of civil rights, social
justice, and equality make here a true inspiration and model leader.
Dr. Height worked passionately on African-American women's issues and
HIV/AIDS issues, two of the primary issues that I strive to address in
my work here in Congress. Dr. Height message resonates especially deep
within my heart.
Through Dr. Height's work with the National Council of Negro Women
and by acting as a consultant to Eleanor Roosevelt, Height was, and
continues to be, instrumental in the advancement of civil rights in
America.
As president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) Height
oversaw several programs which encouraged the empowerment of women
throughout America. These programs included; Operation Woman Power, The
Black Family Reunion, the Women's Center for Education and Career
Advancement, and the Bethune Museum and Archives. In addition to
programs that aid women in the U.S. Dr. Height continues to empower
women internationally on HIV/AIDS issues throughout third world
countries, specifically in West Africa and South Africa.
In addition to her contributions through the NCNW, Dr. Height's work
with the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and the Young Women's Christian
Association (YWCA) has increased citizen participation in government
and furthered the status of at risk peoples.
Dr. Height's emphasis on the value of service is exemplified in her
own words; ``Without community service, we would not have a strong
quality of live. It's important to the person who serves as well as the
recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop. . .''
Dr. Height's worldview is one which we could all do well to adopt.
This Congressional medal will place Dr. Height's among the ranks of
other celebrated leaders such as Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Lady Bird
Johnson, and Rosa Parks, to name a few. Like her predecessors, Dr.
Dorothy Height's exemplary leadership enhances the lives of all people
throughout America and the world.
I thank my colleagues for this resolution and for their support.
Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of the bill, I
have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1821.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________