[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5808]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING DR. DOROTHY I. HEIGHT

  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 492, submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 492) honoring the life and 
     achievements of Dr. Dorothy I. Height.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, it is with great sadness that I rise to 
commemorate the life of a great woman and civil rights pioneer, Dr. 
Dorothy Height. Her passing this morning is a great loss to our 
country, but each day her legacy lives on, in civil rights, women's 
rights, and addressing the social problems that face our Nation.
  Dr. Height was present at every turn when it came to advancing and 
pushing for social change. Born in Richmond in 1912 and raised in 
Rankin, PA, Dr. Height faced her own struggles for equality, none of 
which slowed her drive for social progress and change. She earned a 
scholarship to Barnard College, only to be denied admission when they 
had reached their quota of Black student admittees that semester, two. 
After completing college at New York University, she began her career 
as a social worker, working to help the poorest citizens. She worked 
for the YWCA in 1937, which brought her to Washington. She became the 
president of the National Council of Negro Women in 1957, and held that 
position for 40 years. She played a key role in every aspect of the 
civil rights movement.
  A favorite phrase of Dr. Height's was that ``if the times aren't 
right, you ripen the times.'' She was a crusader for justice, and never 
stopped fighting for an empowerment agenda. Dr. Height was an 
instrumental voice in making this country a better place for people of 
every race, faith, and gender. From school desegregation to fair pay 
for women, Dr. Height was there, breaking down barriers to equality. 
Dr. Height was a sister social worker. Like me, she believed that real 
change must come from the local community. I was proud to recognize her 
life's work by introducing the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, 
Jr., Social Work Reinvestment Act, to expand the number of social 
workers to combat the social problems facing our Nation.
  Today we honor the life and legacy of Dorothy Height, a tireless 
fighter for social justice and the empowerment of all people.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed 
to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the 
table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 492) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 492

       Whereas Dr. Dorothy I. Height was born in Richmond, 
     Virginia, on March 24, 1912;
       Whereas Dorothy Height died on April 20, 2010, at the age 
     of 98, in Washington, D.C., and was survived by her sister 
     Anthanette Height Aldridge;
       Whereas Dorothy Height was valedictorian of her high school 
     and won a national oratorical contest;
       Whereas Dorothy Height attended New York University and 
     graduated in 3 years, receiving a master's degree in 
     educational psychology;
       Whereas Dorothy Height began her career as a caseworker for 
     the Department of Social Services of New York City;
       Whereas Dorothy Height joined the Harlem Young Women's 
     Christian Association (referred to in this preamble as the 
     ``YWCA'') and remained a full time employee until 1975;
       Whereas Dorothy Height organized and became the director of 
     the YWCA Center for Racial Justice in 1965;
       Whereas, in 1957, Dorothy Height became the fourth 
     president of the National Council of Negro Women, a the 
     social services organization with more than 4,000,000 members 
     nationwide, that is comprised of a number of civic, church, 
     educational, labor, community, and professional groups, and 
     served as president for 40 years;
       Whereas Dorothy Height became arguably the most influential 
     woman of the civil rights movement;
       Whereas Dorothy Height spent her life fighting for racial 
     justice and gender equality;
       Whereas Dorothy Height was known for her insistent voice 
     that commanded attention on civil rights issues;
       Whereas Dorothy Height liked to say, ``If the times aren't 
     ripe, you have to ripen the times.'';
       Whereas Dorothy Height was honored in 1994 with the 
     Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in 
     the United States, by President William Jefferson Clinton;
       Whereas Dorothy Height received numerous awards, including 
     honorary doctorates from more than 20 universities and 
     colleges;
       Whereas Dorothy Height was honored in March 2004 with the 
     Congressional Gold Medal, the highest decoration Congress can 
     bestow;
       Whereas the passing of Dorothy Height is a great loss to 
     the Nation: Now, therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the outstanding contributions of Dr. Dorothy 
     I. Height to the civil rights and women's rights movement;
       (2) pays tribute to Dr. Dorothy I. Height, and her passion, 
     dedication to service, and unwavering commitment to equality; 
     and
       (3) requests the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an 
     enrolled copy of this resolution to the Washington, D.C. 
     headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc.

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