Patrick Leahy: “Last week Dr. Dorothy Height was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony in the Capital rotunda, on her 92nd…”

“Last week Dr. Dorothy Height was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony in the Capital rotunda, on her 92nd birthday. Dr. Height is a living legend. She is widely recognized as one of the preeminent civil rights leaders of modern history. Dr. Height has been a tireless advocate for equal rights for women, African Americans, and others for more than 65 years. From 1944 and until 1977, Dr. Height served on the National Board of the Young Women's Christian Association YWCA. In 1965, she launched the Center for Racial Justice at the YWCA, and she served as its director until 1977. Currently the Chair and President Emerita of the National Council of Negro Women, Dr. Height became its fourth president in 1957. Under her leadership, the NCNW made substantial contributions and advances--both for the greater community of African American women and as an organization. Dr. Height led the NCNW to establish the first institution devoted to Black women's history, secure the Mary Bethune Council House designation as a national historic site, achieve tax exempt status for the NCNW, and bring the NCNW to national prominence. Dr. Height played an active leadership role in virtually every major civil and human rights cause since the 1960s. She was the only woman at the table when Dr. Martin Luther King and the 'Big Six' civil rights leaders made plans for the civil rights movement.”