Dorthy Heights

Introduction

The difficult époques always require strong people. The period of African American discrimination in the United States is believed to be one of the worst pages in the history of the country. That was the time when people used to judge and mistreat other people without reasonable ground. The color of skin is not something a person may choose. It is granted to everyone by nature. The fact that some people are of white race and the others are of the black one, should not be the reason for differentiation. It is the cause for diversity celebration, as well as it shows that all people in the world are unique personalities. However, the understanding of this sooth did not come for a very long period of time. The African American slavery lasted for decades of years and even for centuries. The discrimination of black people has significantly marked the previous century as well. It is sad to admit, but the truth is that some people still tend to make prejudiced judgments when it comes to race and skin color. In spite of the fact that we are living in a progressive society and the humanity has reached the level of development that could have hardly been imagined, the old-fashioned and outdated habits are still present in the attitude of some people towards the others. However, this problem has been solved partly, and it will eventually be solved for once and forever. Speaking about the past centuries and the experience of the African American slavery and discrimination, it is impossible not to mention the personality of Dorothy Height. Height was the woman whose name was known to both – white Americans and African Americans. She was a civil right activist, an extremely talented orator, educator, one of the founders and later the President of the National Council of Negro Women. Dorothy Height was a unique personality. She fought for the equality, and she tried to make the world a better place to live in. Her name and memory are well-remembered and highly respected in the modern society. Having experienced the harsh and prejudiced attitude in her childhood and young-adulthood, Dorothy Height made it the main aim of her life to reach the equality and freedom for all African Americans and black women, in particular.

Arguments

The inner core that was present in Dorothy Height was the result of her experience and strengths of will that led her to the achievement of the desired goal. It always happens the way, that strong people attain their power due to the difficult life circumstances and harsh experience. Those who manage to cope with all the problems achieve a kind of a “vaccine” that helps them to move on in life, set new goals and work hard for their attainment. This is the very thing that happened to Dorothy Height. She was born on March 24, 1912 in Richmond, Virginia (Houck & Dixon, 2009). As it is widely known, the South has always been a difficult place for the African Americans to live in. The old-fashioned and stereotyped rules existed there even after the Civil Rights and the First Amendment recognition. Dorothy height could experience that attitude as well. At the age of four, Height and her family moved to Rankin, Pennsylvania. There she attended the public schools. That period appeared to be very influential in Height’s whole life, as well as she managed to discover her oratory talent and develop it to the professional level. She even won a National Oratory Competition and it was another great opportunity for Height. As the award for the victory in that competition, the young girl achieved a 1,000 dollar scholarship. That was her ticket to a college, the place that would change her whole life. Education is the most powerful weapon. It is the only force that makes the world develop. It opens the doors and allows the students to touch the world they would like to live in. However, before those dreams come true, it is necessary to struggle through a long and difficult way. For Dorothy Height, that path was not easy as well. First of all, it is necessary to mention that in spite of the scholarship that was granted to her, she could not use it. For example, when she tried to get enrolled in Barnard College, her application was rejected due to the fact that the quota that existed for the African American female students (it allowed only 2 women to study in the college) was already filled (Houck & Dixon, 2009). However, when one door closes, the other one appears to open. After the failure with the Barnard College, Dorothy Height managed to get enrolled in the New York University. The University gave her two degrees: the Bachelor’s Degree in education and the Master’s degree in Educational Psychology. Later in her memory book, Height confessed her love to the NYU. It was the place that accepted her in spite of the fact that she had neither her high-school diploma nor her application when she was going through the interview with the Dean. The New York University was the place that helped Height to realize what she was looking for and what field she should choose in future. She studied religion, as well as her primary plans were to become a member of a church community and serve the country in that way. However, she realized soon that there was something she was good at, something that would help her to find her place in the world and serve the community in a better way. With that realization, Height chose psychology and social work as her major subjects (Height, 2009). A long string of coincidences appeared to be a great luck for Dorothy Height. She experienced violation of her rights due to some unreasonable quota rules. In spite of that, the fact that her application was rejected by the Barnard College gave her the opportunity to enter the New York University. That place influenced the development of Height and her formation as of a civil right activist and fighter for the equality and freedom of the African American people. The period from the childhood to the young adulthood had a huge influence on the formation of the whole life of the future activist and civil rights fighter – Dorothy Height. Beginning from the public schools that were attended by Height, participation in Pennsylvania Girls’ Club and NAACP, entering the New York University were only the first steps of the long but rewarding path that was chosen by Height. She and her co-thinkers spent a lot of time thinking together about the importance of changes, their necessity and value for the creation of a new democratic country. Dorothy Height had the honor of working with Eleanor Roosevelt and great number of other well-respected, influential, and famous representatives of that time society (Leffler, 2014). The challenges and difficulties are the cores that form the character and personality of a person. It is necessary

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