The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

In a eulogy for civil rights leader Dr. Dorothy I. Height (1912 -2010) delivered at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., today, President Obama reflected on Dr. Height's legacy and spirit.

Dr. Height's life, Obama said, was "a life lived righteously; a life that lifted other lives; a life that changed this country for the better over the course of nearly one century here on Earth."

Speaking about Dr. Height's contributions to the struggles for justice and equality that have benefited so many, he said:

Progress came from the collective effort of multiple generations of Americans. From preachers and lawyers, and thinkers and doers, men and women like Dr. Height, who took it upon themselves -- often at great risk -- to change this country for the better. From men like W.E.B Du Bois and A. Philip Randolph; women like Mary McLeod Bethune and Betty Friedan -- they're Americans whose names we know.  They are leaders whose legacies we teach. They are giants who fill our history books. Well, Dr. Dorothy Height deserves a place in this pantheon.  She, too, deserves a place in our history books.  She, too, deserves a place of honor in America's memory.

Obama's full remarks are available here.

Dr. Height had been the Chair of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights for more than 15 years and was also a recipient of The Leadership Conference's 1993 Hubert H. Humphrey Award.

Coppin State University Development Foundation, Inc., and Dr. & Mrs. Reginal S. Avery will hold an event this Sunday, April 25, to honor civil and human rights icon Dr. Dorothy I. Height.

Lifelong civil and human rights activist Dr. Dorothy I. Height celebrates her 98th birthday today.

Dr. Height is known primarily for her decades of work with the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), an international organization that advocates for women of African descent and promotes family and community with its annual Black Family Reunion celebration. But she has served in a variety of capacities during the Civil Rights Movement, and was often the most prominent woman among the leadership of the movement.

The Library of Congress is celebrating Black History Month by honoring the NAACP with a new online exhibition.

Ninety-seven years ago today, civil rights icon Rosa Parks was born in rural Tuskegee, Alabama.

Born Rosa Louise McCauley, this remarkable woman is remembered as the "mother of the modern day civil rights movement." Most famously, she gained national attention in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat to a White male on a Montgomery, Alabama city bus. With little more than a high-school education, Rosa Parks inspired a generation of activists to fight legal segregation in the United States.

Rosa Parks died on October 24, 2005. Today, we celebrate her legacy as a courageous leader and inspiring civil and human rights activist.