Testimonial nets final $5 mil. pay off on National Council of Negro Women building

Jet, April 8, 2002 by Simeon Booker

At 8 p.m. on March 21, the internationally loved Dorothy Height, chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women, was hurrying to her gala 90th birthday celebration at the J. W. Marriott Hotel in Washington.

One of the few worries on the mind of the woman dubbed "The Uncommon Height" was how to finish off the long fund-raising drive to pay for her organization's building on Pennsylvania Avenue. This building, the only Black-owned structure on the famed Avenue of Presidents, still lacked $5 million to pay off the mortgage. It could become a lasting memorial to the woman who outlived all of the original male leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.

The National Council of Negro Women would be alone in owning such historic property.

Reaching the hotel, Height immediately transferred to her wheelchair and began the ride to the ballroom amid cheering throngs.

A capacity crowd awaited the grand dame of the Civil Rights Movement, including TV star Oprah Winfrey, boxing promoter Don King, author Maya Angelou, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry.

Other VIP guests were New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Coretta Scott King, NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, Mother Khadijah Farrakhan, comedian Dick Gregory, D.C. Mayor Tony Williams and actor Danny Glover.

After enjoying the opening phases of the testimonial, the civil rights pioneer suddenly was transfixed when boxing promoter Don King waxed eloquent in poetry:

"We're not talking about pie in the sky when she dies. Something sound on the ground when she is around;

Help me make Dorothy Height smile, as the Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz; Click your heels, Dorothy, and let's pay off the bill."

With this bit of literary artistry, King produced a check for $110,000, and then quipped, "Help me, Oprah!"

Described as "dripping in diamonds," the talk show host met King's challenge. "I came here prepared to give 2 point 5," she said, then paused, "That's millions, should you wonder."

Her words touched off an avalanche of other donations. The scene resembled an auction with donors vying to outdo one another with their contributions. Oprah, with Don's assistance, appealed to the audience, challenging first those who wanted to contribute another $100,000, then $50,000, then $10,000, etc.

"Unbelievable," commented one guest. "They shelled out the money until they had reached the needed five million bucks." "There was no panic, just a firm commitment coming true," said another." Mary Cross, American Federation of Teachers legislative aide, wrote in a message to teachers, "Another miracle. African-Americans now have a fabulous building to house our institution. It's wonderful we have been given elders with such broad shoulders to stand on."

The unscheduled philanthropy at the party greatly surprised Height who had struggled for years to pay off the building. Her face sparkling like the diamonds worn by Winfrey, 90-year-old queen blew out the candles on her birthday cake. And there were few dry eyes in the room.

The Height dream finally had come true. Often she told the ladies, "No American President will be inaugurated without going past our house."