III
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 492
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 20, 2010
Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Specter, Mr. Burris, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Warner, Mr. Casey, Mr. Levin, Mr. Webb, Mr. Feingold, and Ms. Landrieu) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Honoring the life and achievements of Dr. Dorothy I. Height.
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
That the Senate—
recognizes the outstanding contributions of Dr. Dorothy I. Height to the civil rights and women’s rights movement;
pays tribute to Dr. Dorothy I. Height, and her passion, dedication to service, and unwavering commitment to equality; and
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.