03/18/2026
Dr. Dorothy I. Height (1912–2010), the “Godmother of the Civil Rights Movement,” boldly advanced racial and gender justice throughout her life. After moving to Rankin, Pennsylvania as a child, she attended integrated schools and was introduced to activism through her mother and the Pennsylvania Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs. Her lifelong commitment to the YWCA began in a Girl Reserve Club under the Pittsburgh YWCA, where she first confronted racial discrimination and resolved to create change. A gifted orator and early leader in the anti-lynching movement, she earned a national scholarship before graduating at Rankin High School in 1929.
Known for her courage and steadfast advocacy, Dr. Height was a true movement builder. As YWCA’s first Director of Racial Justice, her historic call to “eliminate racism, wherever it exists, by any means necessary” at the 1970 YWCA National Conference continues to inspire generations.
