April 22, 2010. Today, women in the women's movement and people of the civil rights movement mourn the passing of a great leader, Dorothy I. Height.  She was a community activist and stood my Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr. during his historic "I have a dream" speech, and was present when President Lyndon Johnson signed the civil rights act of 1964.

 

"But, to ... Black women leaders, she was the mother of the Black feminist movement. When she stood next to Dr. King and President Johnson during those historic moments, she stood not only as an embodiment of civil rights but of women's rights too. I think when she realized early on that being Black and female put you in a special category; she took on another fight - one for the empowerment of Black women." said Hinton Hoyt of the Black Women's Health Imperative. To read more about the loss of this historic leader who fought for social justice, go the the Black Women's Health Imperative's website.