Cohen Honors Dr. Dorothy Height on House Floor

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) honored the life and legacy of Dr. Dorothy I. Height on the House floor. Known as the “Godmother of Civil Rights,” the legendary leader passed this morning at Howard University Hospital.

“We lost two Civil Rights pioneers in less than a week,” said Congressman Cohen. “Dr. Dorothy I. Height and Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks were heroes, leaders and inspirations to all. Dorothy Height was a role model who changed so many lives. Whether it was helping guide Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt or leading the National Council of Negro Women, she influenced a nation and future generations with her work and dedication to Civil Rights.”

Dorothy Height was a graduate of New York University and also received a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology there. She was a caseworker with the New York City Welfare Department before joining the National Council of Negro Women, which she ran for 40 years. She also was a member of the United Christian Youth Movement of North America and served as National President for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority for many years.

Dorothy Height was awarded the 1995 Freedom Award by the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004. To watch Congressman Cohen's remarks please click here.