In honor of the rich legacy of Dr. Dorothy I. Height, a Washington, D.C. area post office has been renamed in her honor by President Barack Obama.
The president signed H.R. 6118 earlier this week to designate the facility in northeast Washington, D.C. near Union Station as the Dorothy I. Height Post Office. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives in September. At least 20 members of the Congressional Black Caucus were co-sponsors of the bill. After passing in the U.S. Senate in early December, the bill was sent to the president to become law.
Dr. Height was a key figure in fight for social justice, equality and women’s rights. Her career began as a caseworker in New York City. She then moved into her role as the 10th president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. from 1947-1956.
From there, Height served as the president of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years from 1957-1997. In that role, she was hands-on in the community as she pushed for voting rights and greater access to education.
One year after stepping down as NCNW president, Dr. Height was honored by President Bill Clinton with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She would remain active in her later years in life and maintain her office at the NCNW headquarters.
In April 2010, at age 98, Dr. Height passed away in Washington, D.C.
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