Remembering Dr. Dorothy I. Height

President Barack Obama delivers the eulogy at Dr. Dorothy Height’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., April 29, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Dr. Dorothy I. Height was grace personified.  She displayed a quiet strength.  She vigorously defended the Constitution and fought for equal rights, women’s rights, and human rights for citizens of our country and for people the world over.

Today we said our final goodbyes to this extraordinary woman, and the President of the United States paid tribute to her during the final service.  It is more than fitting that this should be the case.
 
Even in what would be the final year of her life, Dr. Height pressed the National Council of Negro Women to stay in the fight for health care, to make sure that working families had the support they needed to survive during these challenging economic times, and to continue inspiring young girls and women to reach their highest aspirations. Dr. Height visited the White House 21 times since President Obama's Inauguration. Indeed, when invited to the White House in February to meet with the President and a group of Civil Rights leaders, only the worst blizzard in Washington in 100 years could keep her away.

On another occasion, Dr. Height joined us on Martin Luther King Day when a group of African American seniors and young children met with the President and Mrs. Obama for a moment of reflection on the road traveled by African Americans in our country.  She told us of the first time she met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a teenager and the promise he conveyed even then.  Later the group joined the President in the Oval Office to review an original copy of the Emancipation Proclamation hung that very day.     

During Women’s History Month this year, President Obama recognized Dr. Height for her life’s work by including her in the proclamation declaring the annual celebration of the contributions women have made in shaping our democracy.  She joined us at the White House for what would be one of her final visits to honor women from all walks of life, many of whom had been inspired by her noble acts.
 
I believe Dr. Height had what Dr. King called “long life and longevity” because she was selfless in her service and lived to uplift her neighbor, whether they lived next door or half way around the world.  In one of her final interviews just over a month ago, Dr. Height was asked what advice she would offer to teenage girls trying to find their way.  She offered a very basic yet profound charge: find a purpose.

Dr. Height’s purpose was to open doors that had been closed for far too long.  Upon reflection on receiving the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004 when she was well into her nineties, and when many of us would have thought a good rest was long overdue, Dr. Height said, “I felt pleased and proud, but also challenged to see what more I could do.”

In her honor, we all should be willing to challenge ourselves to see what more we can do every single day.  

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Rep. James Clyburn, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton join others at the funeral for Dr. Dorothy Height at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Valerie Jarrett is Senior Advisor to the President.