Tribute: Dorothy Irene Height – 1912-2010: The passing of venerable Queen Mother Dorothy Height was a great loss to longtime social advocates of the Civil Rights and Black Women’s Movements. The news of her transition, which was not unexpected, caused many of us to pause and mourn the loss of a national treasure … but only briefly. For if ever there was a life to be celebrated, it was the life that was lived by Dorothy Irene Height.
Dr. Height was born in 1912 in Richmond, VA. She traveled north to take advantage of higher education opportunities that, during her lifetime, were far more restricted in the South. Following her graduation from New York University, she began her career as a caseworker for the New York City Department of Welfare. She would, in the true spirit of the profession, remain committed to the values and principles of social work in all her endeavors. But it was her contribution to the Civil Rights Movement that helped to build her legacy and seal her place in history.
