Welcome, and prayers for Dr. Height

I’ve been blessed with lots of rich experiences. As a journalist and as a writer, assignments and my own desires have taken me to near and far off places to meet average Americans like me and to meet history makers. This forum gives me an opportunity to record some of this, and to invite you to share stories of some of your own travels and the people you’ve met.

Tonight, I have Dr. Dorothy Height on my mind. She just turned 98 three days ago, and she is in serious condition at Howard University Hospital in Washington. Most of us can only hope to live as long and rich a life as Dr. Height, chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women. But although she’s had many years — many productive years — on this earth, I find myself praying for her to pull through. I am not ready to let go of this proud woman who I so greatly admire. She has always been so eloquent and so wise. In interviews, even in her 90s, she has been tough and on point. And, of course, always dressed to kill, with purse and hat matching her outfit.

Years ago when I worked at a smaller newspaper and I was covering a race-related story, I telephoned Dr. Height’s office and left a message. I could not believe it when she returned my call. The subject was the increase in large, national gatherings among African-American families and she must have given me about half an hour of her time to talk about the Black Family Reunion Celebration on the National Mall that she’d established. That returned call always impressed me, particularly since I work in a field in which people are constantly reviewing whether it’s worth their time to give you the time of day. She took the time to help out one of the little people.

Then, about 10 years ago, I was fortunate enough to have met her at an event in DC. She was in a wheelchair on that day, but still dressed to the nines and as on point as ever in her comments.
Whenever people at this stature are constantly in the news, their history often repeated, it’s easy to let their importance drift into the meaningless background of our minds. I invite you to think about actions that make you uncomfortable — backing an unpopular idea among coworkers, or telling a group of people at the table next to you in the restaurant that you can hear their conversation and it’s offensive. These are just small actions in the scheme of things. Now, imagine someone sticking their neck out like this, but in situations with much higher stakes, and every day, and doing it with poise.

That’s Dr. Dorothy Height. My prayers are with her.