Dorothy Height, a leading civil rights activist who spent 41 years at the head of the National Council of Negro Women, died today at the age of 98. Michael B. Keegan, President of the People For the American Way Foundation, issued the following statement:

“We are all saddened to learn of the death of Dorothy Height, who in her decades of leadership in the civil rights movement inspired millions of Americans to change their country for the better. Dr. Height’s strong leadership helped to carry the country through the civil rights struggles of the 50s and 60s and the continued battles for justice and equality in the decades that followed. She liked to say, ‘If the time is not ripe, we have to ripen the time.’ We all owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude for her persistent, unyielding dedication to making our country a fairer, more just place and a land of opportunity for all. Our hearts are with her family as we give thanks for her leadership and the life she led.”

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