Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement upon news of the passing of Dorothy I. Height.

“Dorothy Height was instrumental in the civil rights movement with her insistent voice for racial justice and gender equality in America.
  Known among many as the ‘glue’ that held the civil rights leaders together; she fought tirelessly for more than six decades for a better more just country.  She liked to say, ‘If the times aren’t ripe, you have to ripen the times.’ Her words and her actions made a positive difference in my life and all Americans.

“A powerful activist and advocate, Height was president of the National Council of Negro Women for more than 40 years. In 1994, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, and in 2004 she received the Congressional Gold Medal – the highest honor Congress can bestow.
  Dorothy Height will forever stand among our nation’s great heroes, leaving behind a legacy of justice, equality and hope.”