Recognizing the Legacy and Achievements of Dr. Dorothy Irene Height as Well as Congratulating the National Council of Negro Women on 75 Years of Activism to Improve the Lives of African American Women and Girls
Adopted at the in 2010
WHEREAS, Dr. Dorothy Irene Height was born on March 24, 1912 and was one of the twentieth century's early activists against social injustice; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Height was the only woman leader among the civil rights leadership known as the 'Big Six' in the 1960's (Martin Luther King, Jr., Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, A. Philip Randolph, John Lewis, and James Farmer); and
WHEREAS, Dr. Height headed the National Council of Negro women for four decades, served on the National Board of the YWCA for three decades, and was elected the tenth National President of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (1947-1956); and
WHEREAS, Dr. Height served as a close advisor on women's issues to the First Ladies of the United States from Eleanor Roosevelt to Michelle Obama; and
WHEREAS, in 2004, Dr. Height was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the most distinguished award bestowed by the United States Congress, for her work as a profound humanitarian and her tireless service to democracy and equality for all; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Height received Presidential honors from Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton; and
WHEREAS, President Obama has called Dr. Height the 'Godmother' of the Civil Rights Movement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid referred to her as a 'Civil Rights Icon,' and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced House Resolution 1281 on April 21, 2010 expressing recognition for Dr. Height's life-long dedication and leadership in the struggle for civil rights for all people; and
WHEREAS, founded in 1935 by Mary McLeod Bethune, the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) is an organization of organizations with the collective mission to lead, develop, and advocate for women of African descent as they support their families and communities; and
WHEREAS, with its 39 national affiliates, more than 240 sections, and a core of volunteers in 34 states NCNW addresses local needs through organized strategies to bring the added support of a network of thousands of women whose collective efforts enhance community service and actions; and
WHEREAS, the Dorothy I. Height Building in Washington, DC is owned by NCNW, and stands as the only African American owned building along the nation's famed 'corridor of power,' and is a symbol to thousands across the country of fulfilled struggle for equality in American society, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors recognize and honor the legacy of Dr. Dorothy Irene Height by urging passage of the Dorothy I. Height & Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors honor and recognize the achievements of 75 years of activism by the National Council of Negro Women by urging the Department of Interior to grant National Landmark status to the Dorothy I. Height Building; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we support NCNW's efforts to make the Dorothy I. Height Building sustainable and train disadvantaged youth in 'green' jobs to realize Dr. Height's vision of making the NCNW Headquarters the 'green ornament' of Pennsylvania Avenue.