Welcome Letter from Dorothy I. Height

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

Welcome!

We are united this evening at the largest gathering of the civil and human rights community – the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award Dinner - commemorating the legacy of the former United States Vice President, Senator and civil rights pioneer.  Recipients are recognized for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of civil and human rights.

On November 4, 2008, the citizens of this great nation elected Barack Obama President of the United States, and with that we closed the book on civil rights 1.0 and the paradigm of grievance and began to write the future of civil rights 2.0 and the politics of equal opportunity. There were those who questioned the scale of our ambitions leading up to the election, but their memories are short.  My memory is long, I know the change this country is capable of and I can only imagine the change that lies ahead.  Change that will be lead by this year's extraordinary honorees: FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair and Van Jones, White House Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

Sheila Bair and Van Jones are helping us answer today's unique challenges to civil and human rights protections. Sheila Bair has shown us that our financial institutions on Wall Street will be at their strongest when they best represent the borrower on Main Street, and Van Jones is addressing environmental injustices and social injustices with one visionary solution: creating green pathways out of poverty. Both understand the value of coalition in making change.

LCCR is the oldest and largest civil and human rights coalition in the United States – more than 200 national organizations representing persons of color, women, children, older Americans, individuals with disabilities, gays and lesbians, labor unions, major religious groups and civil liberties and human rights groups.  The past year has only validated what LCCR has practiced all along; coalition politics are the politics of the 21st century and as we at LCCR enter our 60th year, we look to the leadership of tonight's honorees and those yet to be named to guide us to equality.

Tonight, I extend sincerest gratitude to our generous sponsors and our Dinner Committee, whose contributions have made tonight's event possible.  I am particularly grateful to our Dinner chairs:  Kathryn Brown of Verizon, and Fred Humphries of Microsoft, and to our Program Benefactor Ken Sternad of the UPS Foundation. 

Everyone present tonight has a role to play in advancing civil and human rights.  All of you have our utmost appreciation for your continued support and commitment as together we strive to achieve equality, equal opportunity and justice for all.

Gratefully,

Dorothy I. Height
Honorary Chair

Chairperson, LCCR
Chair and President Emerita, National Council of Negro Women