25 Dorothy Height Quotes From the African American Civil Rights and Women’s Rights Activist

Read these Dorothy Height quotes from one of the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights leaders!

Dorothy Height was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1912 and died in Washington, D.C., in 2010 at 98.

Height is considered the first Civil Rights leader to recognize that inequality for women and African Americans was a problem that should be considered as a whole.

She focused on the issues of African American women, such as unemployment, illiteracy, and voting rights and awareness.

Height served as the president of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years.

Even though Height was a strong leader for Civil Rights, her contributions were often passed over compared to contemporaries due to sexism.

Read these Dorothy Height quotes to learn more about this influential historical figure.

Top Dorothy Height Quotes

Here are some popular quotes from the Civil Rights activist.

1. “As we move forward, let us also look back.” — Dorothy Height

2. “If the time is not ripe, we have to ripen the time.” — Dorothy Height

3. “We have to realize we are building a movement.” — Dorothy Height

4. “We have to see that all of us are in the same boat.” — Dorothy Height

5. “No one will do for you what you need to do for yourself.” — Dorothy Height

6. “We are not a problem people; we are people with problems.” — Dorothy Height

7.“Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life.” — Dorothy Height

8. “If you worry about who is going to get credit, you don’t get much work done.” — Dorothy Height

9. “We have to realize that we have a long way to go, but we have to go that way together.” — Dorothy Height

10. “Civil rights are civil rights. There are no persons who are not entitled to their civil rights.” — Dorothy Height

Dorothy Height Quotes for Justice and Equality

These quotes show Dorothy’s insight and perspective on how to achieve equality and justice for all people.

11. “Progress comes from caring more about what needs to be done than about who gets the credit.” — Dorothy Height

12. “A Negro woman has the same kind of problems as other women, but she can’t take the same things for granted.” — Dorothy Height

13. “The black family of the future will foster our liberation, enhance our self-esteem, and shape our ideas and goals.” — Dorothy Height

14. “When you’re a black woman, you seldom get to do what you just want to do; you always do what you have to do.” — Dorothy Height

15. “We’ve got to work to save our children and do it with full respect for the fact that if we do not, no one else is going to do it.” — Dorothy Height

16. “Therefore, we need, in the strongest ways we can, to show our unity as a people and not just as a people of color.” — Dorothy Height

17. “My mother helped me understand how not to show off what I knew, but how to use it so that others might benefit.” — Dorothy Height

18. “Undoubtedly, African-Americans will have an integral role to play, although our path ahead will continue to be complex and difficult.” — Dorothy Height

19. “I want to be remembered as someone who used herself and anything she could touch to work for justice and freedom… I want to be remembered as one who tried.” — Dorothy Height

Memorable Dorothy Height Quotes

Here are more quotes from the Civil Rights activist showing her thoughts that we can continue to reflect on today.

20. “I am the product of many whose lives have touched mine, from the famous, distinguished, and powerful to the little known and the poor.” — Dorothy Height

21. “Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals.” — Dorothy Height

22. “There is no contradiction between effective law enforcement and respect for civil and human rights. Dr. King did not stir us to move for our civil rights to have them taken away in these kinds of fashions.” — Dorothy Height

23. “We have to improve life, not just for those who have the most skills and those who know how to manipulate the system. But also for and with those who often have so much to give but never get the opportunity.” — Dorothy Height

24. “We had people of all backgrounds coming together—all races, all creeds, all colors, all statuses in life. And coming together there was a kind of quiet dignity and a kind of sense of caring and a feeling of joint responsibility.” — Dorothy Height

25. “I believe we hold in our hands the power once again to shape not only our own but the nation’s future—a future that is based on developing an agenda that radically challenges limitations in our economic development, educational achievement, and political empowerment.” — Dorothy Height

Dorothy Height’s Life

Dorothy Height’s mother was an example to her and regularly took Dorothy along to the Pennsylvania Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs.

She became socially and politically active in high school as a result.

Dorothy contributed much to the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights movements.

As a result, the main Washington, D.C. post office was named the Dorothy I. Height Post Officer after her death.

Please share these Dorothy Height quotes with your friends and family and post any comments about Height in the comment section below.