Statement by Congresswoman Maxine Waters on the Passing of Civil Rights Leader Dr. Dorothy Height
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) issued the following statement upon learning of the death of noted civil rights leader and icon Dr. Dorothy Height:
"Today our country has lost a great leader, an effective and passionate advocate and an inspiring woman. I'm deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Dorothy Height, my dear friend and a true national treasure.
For 40 years she was the president of the National Council of Negro Women, and during that time she created the great Black family reunions that were held across this country that helped to unite communities, families and individuals, and give support to the concerted efforts to strengthen the African American family unit.
Dr. Height made it clear she was an educator, no doubt because of her close friendship and working relationship with Mary McLeod Bethune, the famed educator and civil rights icon.
Partly in Mary McLeod Bethune's image and partly because of her own passion and perseverance, Dr. Height went on to be the key woman involved in the civil rights movement, marching in the streets of New York, standing with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial and being the only woman in attendance at the meeting with President Lyndon B. Johnson that helped shape the civil rights bill.
In fact, she had the ear of many presidents. Dr. Height recently took part in a roundtable discussion with President Barack Obama, discussing job creation and other issues in the African American community.
Dr. Height was often called upon by national, community, women and civil rights groups to be a spokesperson and an adviser, and she regularly attended national and international conferences on women.
I was honored to be a Member of Congress in 2004 when we presented Dr. Height with the Congressional Gold Medal – the highest civilian award in the U.S.
I joined Dr. Height at an event last year to support Cora Masters Barry and a recreation and education center in Washington, DC that serves many children, but was facing closure because of a legal technicality. Her intervention in part helped convince the city to keep the facility open.
Dr. Height never let her age or her physical condition prevent her from advocating for children, women, or communities of color during a life that spanned 98 years.
Dr. Height's accomplishments, like her hats, are too numerous and too great to be properly addressed here. She was an icon, a legend and a fierce advocate for the civil rights of African Americans and for the empowerment of women and girls. Dr. Height's presence was certainly felt throughout this country for more than half a century, and her leadership and her grace will surely be missed. I am a better person for having known and worked with her, and our country has benefited immensely from her life's work.
My thoughts and prayers are with Dr. Height's family and friends, and to the countless people whose lives were impacted by this great woman."
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