[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 59 (Monday, April 26, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E653-E654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF DR. DOROTHY IRENE HEIGHT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 21, 2010

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1281 
and to mourn the loss of a strong voice for greater justice and 
equality in our Nation, Ms. Dorothy Height.
  In the 1950s and 60s, women were expected to stay at home, and stay 
out of the spotlight. Dorothy Height broke through those boundaries and 
became a role model for women, engraving her message of universal human 
dignity into the mantle of our society. In fact, she exploded past her 
boundaries, to not only make her voice heard, but make it relevant.
  The glass ceiling faced by women would hardly be the only barrier 
that Ms. Height would demolish. At a time when she showed great courage 
with every word she spoke as

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a powerful woman, that bravery was magnified by her voice being heard 
as a proud Black woman. She stood--like a prophetess of old--in defense 
of the principle that all men and all women are created equal, and are 
deserving of equal rights.
  Dorothy Height was a woman of stunning dedication, discipline and 
vision. Although, at times, she may have been overshadowed in the press 
and the history books by the men of the Civil Rights movement, she will 
never be forgotten in the hearts and minds of the millions whom she 
touched.
  When Dorothy Height stood with Martin Luther King, Jr., on the steps 
of the Lincoln Memorial as he delivered his famous ``I have a dream'' 
speech, she stood tall in her own right as both a woman, and as a 
leader.
  During the continuing civil rights struggles of the 1960s, Dorothy 
Height worked tirelessly to advance our cause. The Movement's success 
owes as much to her determination as it does to the more well-known 
legacies of Dr. King, Roy Wilkins, A. Philip Randolph, Whitney Young, 
James Farmer, and Bayard Rustin.
  Ms. Height left no avenue untraveled in her march toward Dr. King's 
``beloved society.'' She brought together Black and white women to 
initiate a dialogue of understanding; wrote weekly columns in the New 
York Amsterdam News, a weekly African American newspaper; promoted 
community development programs in Africa; and served on numerous 
committees to this end.
  In particular, Dorothy Height's work within the National Council of 
Negro Women encouraged positive and lasting change in our Nation. She 
served as the President of the Council for 40 years, retiring in 1997. 
From her bully pulpit as President, Dorothy Height advocated for 
equality for both African Americans and women. She emphasized self-help 
and reliance, even as she encouraged practical programs in nutrition, 
child care, housing and career counseling.
  Madam Speaker, I was deeply gratified when Dorothy Height was awarded 
the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004, one of the most deserved awards 
that we have ever bestowed. With her passing, millions of women--and 
men--have lost a role model, and America has lost one of our true 
treasures.
  My prayers are with Ms. Height's family and friends during their time 
of loss.

                          ____________________