She Was The Unsung 'Godmother' Of The Civil Rights Movement

dorothy height smiling
Briona Lamback
March 20, 2023

Dorothy Height wasn’t even supposed to survive. She was severely asthmatic, and doctors told her parents she wouldn’t live to see 17.

Little did they know, she’d take the world by storm for decades to come.

Known as the “Godmother of the Civil Rights Movement,” Height was at the helm of many critical moves toward liberation. As a highly skilled orator, she spoke loud and proud as the president of the National Council of Negro Women. She was also a frequent advisor concerning civil rights for many U.S. presidents.

Height was a master organizer. She helped establish a “pig bank” to feed Black families, fought for Black women’s labor rights, and started a series of Black “family reunions” around the country. 

She believed that building strong communities was crucial to our liberation.

Even with so much experience, the men of the movement overlooked her. Height was a major organizer of the March on Washington, yet NO woman spoke at the event.

As Black women have always done, Height did what she felt she had to do for her people and kept fighting despite the sexism she faced.

There have always been unsung heroes fighting for liberation, but we’re much stronger when united on all fronts. Dorothy Height’s legacy reminds us that none of us are free until ALL of us are free.

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