In Honor of Dr. Dorothy Irene Height - A National Treasure

IN HONOR OF DR. DOROTHY IRENE HEIGHT-A NATIONAL TREASURE

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, a great leader in the struggle for equality, social justice, and human rights for all people, and a true American hero.
A recognized leader in the cause of civil and human rights, Dr. Height has shown her strength and vision through her efforts to promote school desegregation, educate others regarding the status of women in our society, and close our Nation's racial divide.

As a tireless advocate for women's rights, Dr. Height was a valued friend of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She later encouraged President Eisenhower to desegregate the Nation's schools and promoted the appointment of African-American women to sub-Cabinet posts under President Johnson.

Dr. Height served as the tenth national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. from 1947 to 1956 and was responsible for advancing the organization's political and social activism, both nationally and internationally.

Subsequently, as president of the National Council of Negro Women, NCNW, Dr. Height worked ceaselessly to bring attention to the struggle of African-American women. Some of these innovative programs include: Operation Woman Power, a project to expand business ownership by women; the Women's Center for Education and Career Advancement, a facility established to empower minority women in nontraditional careers; and the Bethune Museum and Archives, a museum devoted to the history of African-American women.
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Among her other roles, Dr. Height was the only female member of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders, alongside James Farmer, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, A. Philip Randolph, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She was a mainstay at countless civil and human rights events in the 1960s and organized "Wednesdays in Mississippi," a program that brought together Black and White women from the North and South to create a dialogue of understanding.

Throughout her years of public service, Dr. Height has received numerous awards for her pursuit of equality including: the Spingarn Award, the highest honor given by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP; the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by President Clinton; the William L. Dawson Award, given by the Congressional Black Caucus for decades of service to people of color and women; the Citizens Medal Award for distinguished service, presented by President Reagan; and her most recent honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, presented by the 108th Congress of the United States.

Dr. Dorothy Height has been a clear voice in expressing the needs of not only African-American women, but of all women. She is a living legend, a catalyst for growth and positive change in our great country.

I proudly congratulate Dr. Dorothy Irene Height on the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal and for her commitment to equality and civil rights in America.