A Life Well Spent: Dorothy Height

On Thursday, I was fortunate enough to attend the funeral of Dorothy Height, a civil rights leader who passed away on April 20.  The funeral was held at the Washington National Cathedral, where my office is located as well.  Many famous people, from Bill Cosby, to Jesse Jackson, to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and many of their cohorts as well as Hilary Clinton, and most amazingly, the President and First Lady were in attendance. Many from the public also attended to pay tribute to an incredible life.

I have to admit I didn't know very much about Dorothy Height until she died.  But after reading some articles about her prior to her funeral and hearing stories of her passion and fashion, I wish I had been taught more about her.  To me, the most amazing stories about her described how she orchestrated (or assisted greatly in orchestrating) much of the civil rights movement, yet because she was a woman, she rarely received the credit she deserved. She was discriminated against for her gender much in the same way her and her cohorts were discriminated against due to the color of their skin.

Amazing how quickly one who has been hated can forget when it is convenient.

Dorothy Height’s death makes me think about the lessons of previous generations.  As Arizona passes laws legalizing racial profiling, it is more apparent than ever that the lessons of her battles were not entirely learned, or comprehended.  What more could someone like Dorothy have done to ensure the safety and respect of all people?  And when does it stop being the Dorothy Heights’ responsibilities, and become ours?

The last few days I have thought about Dorothy as I have moved through the world: as I listen to a performance of young Indian men in America struggling with their identity; as I go to a bar where a young African American man introduces himself as “Frederick.  Frederick Douglass” to my roommate as a way to challenge her knowledge of civil rights history; as I take in the city surrounding me and am fully aware that, in Washington, the poor are only Black and Hispanic.

I wonder what Dorothy and her community of activists would say about these things.  I know none of these thoughts are particularly new or very original to the world.  But the fact that at 98, Dorothy Height passed away after a life-long fight to protect equality for all in America and America is still so far from it, I wonder, how did she feel?  And if she knew her work would be incomplete, which she probably did, why didn’t she give up, like so many others?

What makes a person extraordinary, instead of extra. ordinary.?

In his eulogy, President Obama credited his presidency to her work. I don’t doubt that he told her that himself while she was still alive.  She paved the way for a president.  Perhaps she knew that there would always be inequality, and she was just trying to do her small part, which, in the end, turned out to be very big.  And I guess that kind of effort, without concern for results, is all we can really strive for in this life.

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In other news: May 4 marks my 1 year anniversary of living in the district, uninterrupted.  What a year of growth and heartbreak and laughter and mystery and new friends and joy.  Hard to comprehend what 365 days in one place, in a new chapter, means.  But if this is how it works, I have no complaints, and am just utterly thankful for everything.

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things to watch out for: Young performers rethinking spoken word
things to reflect for: birth control pill turns 50 allowing women ownership of their sexuality, and therefore, their bodies and lives
things to laugh for:  a young traveler talks about his adventures