[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 17, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E850-E851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SALUTING DR. DOROTHY IRENE HEIGHT ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE HISTORIC 
               1954 BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION DECISION

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 17, 2006

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, what can you say about a woman who has 
earned two of America's highest civilian honors--the Presidential Medal 
of Freedom by former President Bill Jefferson Clinton and the 
Congressional Gold Medal by our current President and Commander-In-
Chief George W. Bush? For more than 80 years, Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, 
current Chair and President Emerita of the National Council of Negro 
Women (NCNW), the world's largest women's organization, has not only 
been a leader in the fight for women's and civil rights, but she has 
also been an activist and crusader for human rights. She has tirelessly 
dedicated her life's work to serving her community, our Nation and the 
world.
  Dr. Height's Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold 
Medal symbolize the promise of America and embody the essence of 
sacrifice and allegiance to one's country. The values that have come to 
symbolize her life are the core values that should be represented in 
the lives of all Americans, young and old. She has worked to make 
America the best Nation that it can be and she is the best of what 
America represents as a Nation. She has fought to make the promise of 
the American dream, with justice and liberty for all, a reality in 
America through her tireless efforts.
  Whether you choose to call her the ``Queen Mother of the Civil Rights 
Movement'' or the ``Grand Dame of the Civil Rights Movement,'' Dr. 
Height is simply the embodiment of everything that makes our Nation 
great. She is truly an ``indispensable'' part of the civil, human and 
women's rights movement. She is one ``America's National Treasures.''
  Her distinguished service and contributions to making the world a 
more just and humane one, have earned her hundreds of awards and honors 
from local, state, and national organizations and the federal 
government. Dr. Height has received over 24 honorary degrees, from such 
institutions as Spelman College, Lincoln University (Pennsylvania), 
Central State University, and Princeton University. She has not only 
been the recipient of hope's

[[Page E851]]

most precious gift--freedom, but she has been at the forefront as the 
giver of hope to millions of men, women and children of all races, 
colors, and creeds.
  On this day, 52 years ago, the Brown vs. Board of Education decision 
served as a bridge to the promise of freedom for people from all races, 
creeds and colors. In commemoration of that historic decision, we 
celebrate the legacy of one woman who epitomizes the fight for freedom 
in this country and the journey for justice--Dr. Dorothy Irene Height.
  In 1954, when the Brown vs. Board of Education decision was 
announced, Dr. Height led the way for the YWCA to produce the booklet, 
``Our Schools and Our Democracy,'' to encourage associations to 
participate fully in helping desegregate the schools. Dr. Height also 
convened a Southern Regional Conference in Atlanta to discuss the 
problems and opportunities of desegregation and worked closely with the 
student leadership of the YWCA to develop simple things that people 
could do, such as escorting a child to school when it is first 
integrated.
  Fifty-two years later, her commitment to young people is alive and 
well today. Dr. Height is leading the way in leaving a lasting legacy 
for the next generation through the Dorothy Irene Height Youth For 
Excellence Initiative (YFE) Program in association with the Civil 
Rights musical, ``If This Hat Could Talk: A Musical of Passion, Power, 
and Triumph.'' Dr. Height has utilized the musical as a strategy for 
``keeping the Civil Rights legacy alive'' and empowering young people 
to make a difference in their local and global communities.
  Because of her unwavering commitment to our youth, the YFE has become 
a cornerstone of the Musical's program. The YFE provides multicultural 
students, grades 7-12 with a free performance and materials for their 
teachers to continue teaching lessons of equality, fairness and respect 
for diversity in the classroom. The Musical experience allows them to 
learn about their Civil Rights legacy and continue that legacy through 
education. They view Dr. Height's journey throughout history and that 
of others like Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, A. Phillip Randolph, John 
Lewis, Linda Brown and Mary McLeod Bethune, just to name a few. Today, 
because of her vision, her story, her on-going, never-ending commitment 
to kids, the Musical has been seen by over 10,000 youth. Dr. Height has 
set a new standard of excellence in her diligent, unwavering efforts to 
instill a commitment to Civil and Human rights in the next generation 
of leaders.
  It is today that we, the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, 
celebrate and honor Dr. Dorothy Irene Height. We truly have an affinity 
for her. For 37 years, Dr. Height's trailblazing efforts have enabled 
us, as a Congressional Black Caucus, to empower the masses and 
effectively represent the interest of urban and rural America in this 
country and address the legislative concerns of citizens of all 
backgrounds. She has enabled us to be a viable, fair, fearless, and 
strong governmental force. Dr. Height showed us how one woman of 
courage, with one voice, could set in motion a mission that changed the 
world. As we continue as a Congressional Black Caucus, operating in one 
single voice, while reflecting our own diversity, we have gained 
strength, insight and instruction from her life. Through her efforts, 
she has taught us how to turn tumultuous times into turning points, 
pain into personal victory and adversity into achievement. For this, we 
are forever grateful.

                          ____________________