May 3, 2010

“The loss of one of the most distinguished and effective civil rights and womens rights leaders in Americas history is being felt today in cities across this country.

As President of the National Council of Negro Women for four decades, from 1957 to 1997, Dorothy Height was friend and counselor to literally thousands of mayors who worked with her in their cities and through The U.S. Conference of Mayors. She was a presence at Conference of Mayors meetings throughout her career; in recent years, promoting volunteerism and public-private partnerships to expand and improve services to all residents of all our cities, and giving awards and national recognition to mayors for their leadership in these areas.

Dorothy Height was an inspiration to all of us who knew her. She received the highest awards in the land for what she accomplished for all Americans during her lifetime. No one has ever been more deserving of a nations gratitude.”

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,139 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference of Mayors by its chief elected official, the mayor. More information about the Conference of Mayors is available online at http://usmayors.org.