wfn.org | Ecumenical leaders recall Dorothy I. Height as tireless supporter of church unity

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Ecumenical leaders recall Dorothy I. Height as a tireless supporter 
of church unity

Washington, April 20, 2010 -- Dorothy Irene Height, who began her 
activist career as a teenager marching in New York's Times Square 
shouting, "Stop the lynching," was remembered Tuesday as one of the 
last great voices of the American Civil Rights Movement.

Height, 98, who led the National Council of Negro Women for four 
decades and continued to speak out on justice issues in her 90s, died 
early today.

"We remember Dr. Height both as a civil rights leader and as a 
tireless champion of church unity," said the Rev. Dr. Michael 
Kinnamon, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches.

"History will not forget the contributions Dorothy Height made to the 
cause of freedom and justice," Kinnamon said. "We in the church will 
never forget the essential role her faith played in motivating her 
lifelong quest on behalf of persons of all ages, races and 
ethnicities. She knew that persons of faith can be an irresistible 
force for justice when we join hearts and hands, and she was a leader 
in that march throughout most of our lifetimes."

A United Methodist, Height was the first recipient in 2004 of the 
National Council of Churches 
<http://www.ncccusa.org/generalassembly/ga2004/heighttext.html>J. 
Irwin Miller Award, named for one of the Council's lay presidents, 
Kinnamon noted.

Presenting the award was Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt of the Christian 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and NCC president in 2004.

"Friends, I cannot think of anyone who is more deserving of the J. 
Irwin Miller Award than Dorothy Height," Hoyt said at the time. "She 
is a living legend in the movement for civil rights in this nation. 
She has dedicated herself to improving the quality of life for 
African-American women and children. She is known internationally for 
her work for human rights for all. The world is truly a better place 
because of the work and witness of Dr. Dorothy Irene Height.

"Dr. Height is also an unassuming and gracious woman of God. When you 
first see her, impeccably dressed from head to toe, with soft smile, 
and a twinkle in her eye, you would not imagine what a powerful woman 
she has become."

Height was also honored by Church Women United in 1999 as a recipient 
of the CWU Human Rights Award.

"Dr. Height was a tremendous supporter of Church Women United since 
our beginning in 1941," said Djamillah Samad, Church Women United 
national executive in New York.

Height and her friend Eleanor Roosevelt, then First Lady, saw the 
organization as an important witness for peace on the brink of the 
Second World War. "We are going to miss her greatly. It was through 
the leadership and guidance of women like Dr. Height that working 
with social justice issues from a Christian perspective became and 
remains the focus of CWU today," Samad said.

In 1937, while she was working at the Harlem YWCA, Height met famed 
educator Mary McLeod Bethune, the founder of the National Council of 
Negro Women, and first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who had come to speak 
at a meeting of Bethune's organization. Height eventually rose to 
leadership roles in both the council and the YWCA.

In 2006, National Council of Churches staff were invited to preview 
performances of a musical about the life of Dorothy Height, 
"<http://www.ncccusa.org/060530hat.html>If This Hat Could Talk." The 
"hat" referred to Height's wide-brimmed trademark hats that she wore 
throughout her life.

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NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 
646-853-4212 (cell) , <mailto:NCCnews@ncccusa.org>pjenks@ncccusa.org