"If the times aren’t ripe, you have to ripen the times."
This was the mantra of civil rights leader Dorothy Height who passed on Tuesday evening in hospital at the great age of 98. While Dr. Height was a shining example for women during a time when women were definitely considered second class citizens, the fact she was a black woman only made that situation worse. Even with those odds stacked against her she managed in her lifetime to be a key part of change in this country. Dorothy Height stood by the side of Martin Luther King, Jr during his famous I have a dream speech in Washington D.C. and was the highest ranking woman in the civil rights movement leadership. She witnessed, had a part in organizing and/or participated in every march and demonstration at the time and spent her entire life in what at the time may have seemed like an un-ending struggle. 
For 40 years Dorothy held the position of leader of the National Counsel of Negro Woman and did tremendous work in the areas of gender equality and desegregation of the armed forces. For her work she was awarded two of the highest civilian awards given by our government, The Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004 and was praised by both George W. Bush, and President Barack Obama who called her, “the godmother of the civil rights movement” and a hero to all Americans.
NeedTooKnow.org would like you to take a moment out today and think about the works of civil rights leaders and the immense work they have done so far because that work has not yet ended.
