Open Wide the Freedom Gates: A Memoir

by Dorothy I. Height

Dorothy Height marched at civil rights rallies, sat through tense White House meetings, and witnessed every major victory in the struggle for racial equality. Yet as the sole woman among powerful, charismatic men, someone whose personal ambition was secondary to her passion for her cause, she has received little mainstream recognition—until now. In her memoir, Dr. Height, now ninety-one, reflects on a life of service and leadership. We witness her childhood encounters with racism and the thrill of New York college life during the Harlem Renaissance. We see her protest against lynchings. We sit with her onstage as Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech. We meet people she knew intimately throughout the decades: W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mary McLeod Bethune, Adam Clayton Powell Sr., Langston Hughes, and many others. And we watch as she leads the National Council of Negro Women for forty-one years, her diplomatic counsel sought by U.S. presidents from Eisenhower to Clinton. After the fierce battles of the 1960s, Dr. Height concentrates on troubled black communities, on issues like rural poverty, teen pregnancy and black family values. In 1994, her efforts are officially recognized. Along with Rosa Parks, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Biography, African American, Race, Audiobook

344 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2003

About the author

Dorothy Irene Height was an African American administrator, educator, and social activist. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real eye-opener, and an inspiration.

But first an admission: When Dorothy Height died recently, I, in my arrogance, was surprised and a little irritated that I hadn't heard of her before.

I went to a grade school that emerged out of the Civil Rights Movement, and tend to have at least some recognition of names from the movement. If you mention Stokely Carmichael, I'll nod. A. Philip Randolph? Sure. John Lewis? Why do you even ask? But I drew a complete blank on Dorothy Height, and was impressed that President Obama spoke at her funeral. When I read that she had a memoir, I felt I had to read it.

What a memoir! She is, admittedly, a little clunky in talking about herself, but I imagine that's mostly from modesty, and a lifetime of working extremely hard but not pushing for personal recognition. (Which came anyway, later, and she seems understandably proud of it.) She really comes alive when she talks about the work, and the people she met along the way.

She worked for the YWCA for a long time, was a major force behind it becoming racially integrated, and helped it to help other people.

In her "spare time", she was a major force in the National Council of Negro Women, an organization that I really should've heard of before now.

She traveled, she organized, the integrated, she empowered, she educated, she learned, and she built coalitions.

An amazing person and a wonderful life. I'm really glad to finally know something about her.

[Jennifer Swapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting history not only of Dorothy Height, but an introduction to many of the important civil rights players pre, during and post civil rights era. On of the most interesting ideas proposed by Dorothy Height was her explanation of why African American's have traditionally been strong supporters of federal government power. She says, "There is a good reason why protection promised by federal laws based on democratic principles has always meant more to black people than to whites: it was the only hope we had! After the emancipation, there were no civil rights laws enacted until 1957 (Pg134)."

I also learned one of the scriptures that backed up the strong supporters of slavery. Ephesians 6:5, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ".

I have a hard time getting into the mind-set of a a culture that felt so strongly that they had the rights, and God's backing to hold a race of people under segregation, but I can tell that it was a real belief, and that changing that culture, and changing the other culture of turning a blind eye took enormous courage, immense intelligence, time and time again to be able to verbally define what was the ideal, why, and how to bring about invite change, and how to bring about change by those too obstinate to accept it. I am really impressed as I read about the civil rights leaders and their work. I am very impressed with the countless women who participated enormously in organizing civil rights activities, and how recognized as their work progressed that there was even more work to be done in terms of women's rights. A key example being the March on Washington, during which MLK Jr. gave his famous, I Have a Dream" speech. This event was supported and planned by countless women's organizations, and yet no women were able to participate in the giving of speeches.

I really enjoyed the chapters about the National Council of Negro Women's work behind the Cotton Curtain of Mississippi. The ideas they carried out were ingenious and really worked to meet the needs of the individual women living in Mississippi at the time, like the Pig Bank, and the Wednesdays in Mississippi.

I would have liked to have understood a little more about Dr. Heights personal life, and her personal feelings: her triumphs and her failures, etc. Did she wish to marry and have children, was she satisfied not have a family, or was that something she worked on.
Overall, I really enjoyed the history of this enormously influential woman during a very critical time in US history. I also started watching a black history course from Stanford that is really helpful: http://freevideolectures.com/Course/2....

[Dedria A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book and loved it. I initially borrowed the book to research Height for a performance I was doing on her. I was giving a speech as her, but I found it genuinely interesting. One would not think that a woman who worked in the background could be exciting, but that is the true up close and personal work. She mounted programs and projects that involved people regular people doing things that would endure in their communities.
The US uses a star system for the public figures we admire that we forget the others who make the wheels spin. In this book Height talks about the essential role that the YWCA and the NCNW played in civil rights.
I especially like the program Wednesdays in Mississippi. Here were woman going to talk with other women about improving the way women and children lived.
Height worked with women and their governments on 5 of the 7 continents. The story I like came from Africa when a program participant told Height, that Height was an inferior person. I wanted to smack that person.
And for readers who enjoy real estate negotiations, this book describes one of the most exciting ever. It's how the NCNW got their headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue midway between the WH and the Capital.
This is a book about real times and grunt work that secured the rights of many disenfranchised. It is a book about bearing witness.

[Tonya Vondersaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Dorothy’s memoir of her life and her work in the social field where she wanted to help people. When she was young she was very active in her church and schooling. She was a quick study and was very intelligent. Due to her hard work in school and in speech she went to New York University on a full scholarship. She wanted to work in social work and tried to get the right resources to the right people and fought to get what people needed. She also worked in the criminal justice system through this. She also worked for Harlem Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and she helped all over the nation. She also worked on the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and she organized protests to stop lynchings that were happening in America. She worked on many committees and councils to work towards racial equality, organized marches and protests, and aided education of important people about poverty and how to aid those who were in it. She was a strong leader and was able to work in all kinds of civil rights. She was also able to do more work in other countries as well. She sat onstage with Martin Luther King Jr. when he gave his "I Have a Dream" speech. Both Eisenhower to Clinton asked for her counsel during their presidencies. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom which was a huge honor. She helped the NCNW raise enough money to get a new building which then was named after her.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across A Mighty Girl post on Facebook about Dorothy Height featuring her important work in the Civil Rights movement throughout the 20th century. Yet I had not heard of her. The FB post offered up a link to this memoir for people interested in learning more about her. Born in 1912, she lived for 98 years, dying in 2010. What an extraordinary life she led!

She recounts the highlights of her strong family upbringing and her accomplishments in school and church activities in her youth. Once she entered NYU in the 1920’s, while living in Harlem during its golden age, she began a life of activism and leadership combatting racism. It seems that she knew anyone and everyone important to the movement.

This memoir is a bit dry because she doesn’t provide much about her personal life. Instead, she sticks to a timeline of her growth as an activist and rise to important roles in organizations focussing on improving the lives of women of color. I’m glad I took the time to learn more about this modest, brilliant woman.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the memoir of a great woman. If you want to read about a kind, determined, unapologetically assertive Black woman who accomplished amazing things in her life, you should definitely pick it up. Written in a conversational style (I feel like she must have dictated it), Dorothy Height takes us through her life with friendly good humor. It's inspiring in showing what can be accomplished through organizing, advocating, and connecting, although also saddening in parts where we can see how far we have to go (many of the issues she writes about encountering in the 60s and 70s are still a problem today; especially, sigh, white feminists, we gotta do better). I will say sometimes it became difficult to remember which organization was which, because she worked with a lot of them and there were a lot of acronyms to keep straight. But also for me personally it was inspiring to see what could be done by a social worker. Social work has a problematic history (probably no more nor less than other professions, but hard for me to swallow because it's MY profession and it's supposed to be about helping people, damn it), but Dorothy Height is an exception. I hate to beat the word "inspiring" to death here, but I a) don't often use it, and b) can't find one that fits better.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think my recent fascination with this amazing woman and her amazing journey as well as her recent passing upgraded this book from 3 to 4 stars. It was very interesting to read about all that she was involved in during the Civil Rights movement and beyond, but there were so many organizations and committess named, it made my head spin. I just wish she had added a little more personal detail. On the one hand, with all of her involvement I don't see where she would have had time for a personal life (she never married or had children). But on the other hand, since it was a memoir I would have appreciated a little insight on how she felt about this looking back and whether she regretted giving that up for her causes. Dr. Height was a remarkable lady, though, and she deserves a prominent place in American history.

[Peter Mayeux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this autobiographical memoir interesting, informative and inspiring. The author recounts the battles she had overcoming racial and gender discrimination. The book offers interesting insights into her efforts for the birth and development of three major organizations. There are also personal insights about political, social and religious issues she faced in her long life. Dorothy Height's life is an excellent example of the importance of working together on common, shared goals. Her main objective in life was helping others become the best person possible. Her commentary provides an informed perspective as the American Civil Rights Movement was underway. This book should be especially useful for readers wanting a more personal and concentrated account of this important movement in United States history.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. Dorothy Irene Heights should be a household name for all that she did to further the rights of blacks, women, the poor and everyone else through her incredible hard work and dedication. She was heavily involved in the civil rights movement of the 60’s and stood alongside Dr. King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington. She was turned away from her first choice of college because they’d reached their cap of 2 “colored people” but NYU accepted her on the spot and she received both her undergrad and her graduate degree from them. She worked with some incredible women including Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt. Her unconquerable spirit and unsurpassed world ethic is inspiring and I wish everyone would read this book. It is more timely now than ever.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What struck me the most, reading this in the summer of 2020, was how much work still has to be done. Dr. Height details well the servant attitude she and others had, trying to bring equality and justice to people of color. She also saw clearly that injustice still existed. "Today we still have to deal with the same old issues, but from new angles... Unless we acknowledge that racism exists, we will never eliminate it. Language is such a carrier for values that there is a tendency to state problems in a way that makes us feel comfortable."
Knowing history is important to avoiding the same mistakes in the future.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very slow read because there is so much…so much to digest, so much to look up, so much to highlight. This book is a memoir, but also a history book and a love story - not romantic love, but rather the love you use to build a family that you create. For Ms. Heights this was her friends and co-workers. It is a reminder that true religion is about relationships and service. This book should be on HA reading lists (and not just for Black History Month).

[Marta E C R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorothy Height was a remarkable woman who believed collaboration and coalition with many others could change the world. After reading this book, I very much want to visit the National Council of Negro Woman's headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Pennsylvania Ave, as well as the Bethune Museum on Vermont Ave, to see parts of her legacy.

[Kristy Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about Miss Height's civil rights work. Many do not even know who she is, and how powerful she was. I was a bit disappointed that she did not include more about her personal life (family, friends, what she liked ect). It read more like a timeline of all the great things she did.

[Tasheika B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Phenomenal Woman! She had such grace and determination lover her story and all that she accomplished! A Must Read!

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes we are not our own best storytellers. Dorothy Height is without a doubt an amazing woman who accomplished phenomenal acts. Despite always having been ‘in the room where it happens,’ I had never even heard of her before picking this book up (which speaks volumes to our lackluster education of non-white history). However, I felt like the book she wanted to write was a combined history of the YWCA and the NCNW, but was shot down by the publisher.

The book wasn’t really a memoir. It was more like an extended resume/list of her life achievements. I didn’t walk away from the book feeling like I had any sense of who she was beyond her achievements. In the end she has a very brief - and incredibly strange - chapter about her friends, but that was literally it in terms of her personal life.

Most of the book felt a laundry list of things that had happened. It also felt a little pollyanna-ish. I got the sense she was terrified that admitting a failure, insecurity, or emotion would somehow tarnish her amazing legacy. It wouldn’t have. I joked to a friend that reading this felt at times like a job interview. Tell us about a time you failed at something you set out to do? Well, one time we attempted to open a teen pregnancy center, but after years of work the county rejected our idea. So we just transformed it into an amazing community center that benefited local men and women. Tell us about a flaw? Well, I’m too hard of a worker and I just won’t ever give up!

Finally, I think she thought her quest for funding for the NCNW headquarters read like a thriller - would they finally make the funding deadlines? I really struggled to keep engaged. I’m glad she got her building, but the process was just not as fascinating for me as it was for her.

Overall, an amazing and fascinating woman. I just wish I had read her story written by someone else.

[Kenneth Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fascinating memoir by a woman who played a large role in civil rights,women’s rights and rights of the poor. She was turned down for entry into Bernard College because they allowed only two black women in each year. She ended up at NYU, where she chose to major in social work. Always deeply religious,she was active in various Christian organizations while in college. This helped raise her social awareness. Upon graduation she went to work for the YWCA. She worked to improve the status of black women and working to defeat segregation. She met Mary McLeod Bethune and through her became involved in the National Council of Negro Women. She eventually became president of this organization .
She spent her life working to improve the status of women black and white. She isn’t a household name when it comes to civil and human rights, but her contributions in these areas are immense. Her efforts helped lay the groundwork for many of the victories in these areas. This was a very interesting read and brings to light the efforts of a person who is not widely recognized.

[Rose Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh. I can't believe I didn't know about Dr. Dorothy I. Height before reading this. I am deeply embarrassed by this fact. An incredible civil rights and women's activist, Dr. Height lived through almost the entire 20th century (1912-2010), and played a pivotal role in almost every milestone within/across both movements. Throughout her life, she worked across 5 continents, alongside extremely prominent thinkers and leaders (e.g. Mary McLeod Bethune, Martin Luther King Jr. Eisenhower, Eleanor Roosevelt, Kennedy, Obama) and built coalitions to better make her message (ever-changing, based on the issue(s) of the moment) known, valued, and acted upon. This book reads as the most captivating history textbook you've read. Every page is filled with things (e.g. facts, dates, statistics, and qualitative stories) that you feel you should have been taught time and time again in school (the fact that these things weren't is very telling, and highlights some of her broader point later in the book.)

[Reader66 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is worth reading for those interested in the history of civil rights struggles in the US. You'll marvel at how much change has been made in some ways, and how little in others. Miss Height also makes some eerily prescient remarks about the social justice movement, particularly as it concerns the leadership torch being passed from her generation to the next.

Ultimately, however, this book reads like a history textbook or newspaper article: long on (interesting) facts, short on emotion, self-reflection, or analysis. For example, are you curious about how Miss Height came to acquire her extensive hat wardrobe or do you want to know more about how hats became her trademark? You won't get that information here! Would you like to know what hobbies or interests she pursued when she wasn't engaged in civil rights work? So would I, but that information is not to be found in this book.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

So Dorothy Height was Amazing! What she accomplished in her life was so significant and it is shocking to have never heard about her before. So my lower rating is not her story but instead how it was told. It may have benefited from a ghost writer. The story could jump from time period to time period and the first person narrative made it lose some intensity.

But I do think this is a great history of an exceptional woman.

[LynnDee (LynnDee's Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dorothy Height was considered the Godmother of the Civil Rights Movement and in this memoir she talks about how she got involved in activism and what she went through to accomplish what she did. Definitely one to add to your reading list if you're interested in learning about the women behind the Civil Rights Movement. I just didn't love the writing--it was very straightforward and lacked a bit of emotional oomph.

[Calli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not typically an autobiography type of reader but this was an inspiring read. Height made such a remarkable impact on the lives of African American women, and women throughout the world, with her work. Her resiliency, dedication, and hard work are something to look up to.

[Rachel Gottesman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a life, what a legacy. Her story is remarkable and I'm so glad that hers is a name I'll now forever associate with the greatest leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.

[Florence Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was clearly a remarkable woman! It was an eye opening read.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

That last chapter - whew!

[Carole]

I'm reading this because it was quoted in Cokie Roberts "We Are Our Mothers' Daughters" which I can't find in the database. Anyway, I have just finished that book which was an interesting mix of semi-biographical & women's history. Cokie Roberts writes affectionately about her family members, especially her mother, aunt & cousins as well as daughter & daughter-in-law & with admiration for all the women who went before & broke down barriers. One of them was Dorothy Height, a black woman, was raised in povery by a mother who did domestic work (like Ruth Simmons, president of Brown University) but had the highest possible standards & expectations for herself & her daughter. Dorothy Heights went on to work with at least 5 presidents & campaigned ceaselessly for issues way beyond gender & color, especially education, labor, & unions. She writes that she is still unable to buy any item of clothing that does not have a union label in it.

I am starting to wonder is she had any personal life at all & if she is ever going to share any of it - I doubt it! It is becoming tedious even though there are vivid accounts of long hot summers of race violence in the south where she was at the forefront of a dangerous fight for freedom. There are endless organisations that fought the fight for freedom but not enough of the personal touch to keep me faithul to this book alone. I have to break off int WFB for some heart & humor.
It was a plod but I finished this book & actually saw a clip of Dorothy Height receiving an award on the news recently. She never married (or had a relationship) but instead lived in a group of 3 or 4 close friends of both sexes who suffered many personal tragedies. She, of course, rprovided loving friendship to help them through. I guess she was maybe of the generation that devoted their lives so thoroughly to a cause that that became their whole lives - cf Hillary Clinton etc who seemed to "have it all".

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Height was a very amazing woman, one who saw clearly the challenges and problems of racism, and the hurt and harm that it has done (and continues to do) to African-Americans, while at the same time retaining an optimistic outlook, a belief in the power of action, of being able to make change happen even in the face of seemingly implacable challenges of institutional racism that remain after a life of hard work.

She was also a very singular person. I suspect very few people have her capacity for hard relentless work.

A good book, particularly a work of non-fiction, can be discerned by the interest it sparks in its reader to follow up on other subjects. After reading this, I am interested in reading biographies of Dr. Height, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Mary Church Terrell, and learning more about the YWCA, Girl Scouts (Dr. Height was not one, but all her life she worked primarily through women's organizations), and African-American sororities, and visiting the Bethune museum.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An edifying look at one of the leading figures of the Civil Rights movement in the 20th Century. Not surprisingly, although Ms. Height was at the forefront of the movement working along side of Eleanor Rosevelt, Mary Bethune, Martin Luther King and many a building, scholarship fund initiatives are named for her, she is largely unknown to the general public.
Her autobiography not only provides a first hand ride along of the events of the movement, but also gives the reader a front seat to the personalities and dramatic events that fueled it.
The writing is clear and concise although there were times that it felt like the mission statements of various organizations were quoted verbatim. Ms Height leaves her personal life to the last pages of the book and perhaps it would have been a better autobiography had Ms. Height chosen to allow us to see her personal as well as political life as we followed her journey.

[Liah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like listening to the most brilliant and caring person you can ever imagine. I was aware of Dorothy Height when I read this book; however, I didn't truly know the remarkable life she led to advance civil rights, human rights, and women's rights. This is book is packed with history because she advised and worked with many activists, public servants, and educators for decades. I think what struck me the most was how she honored other people and made you feel compelled to do more for your community in the way she wrote her own story. This is one of the best memoirs I've ever read. When I read the last page, I cried. Dorothy Height truly lived her life with purpose. She deserves more recognition and accolades like the great men she worked with such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and A. Philip Randolph. If you want to feel inspired to be a social change agent, this is the book to read.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was totally unaware of Dorothy Height and her life's work before reading this book. Clearly my loss, and I am now aware of what a major contribution she made to civil rights in American society.

Some of the earlier chapters felt like a tour through her resume and weren't particularly interesting. The chapters on the work with the National Council for Negro Women were the clear standout of the book. Of particular interest were her discussions of her perspectives on working together with organizations with different philosophies (black power, student groups, NAACP, SCLC, etc). Also of course, learning about all the different programs she helped run to address specific constituencies of black women.

Overall the focus was on discussing her work and the programs she ran. She had some comments on her patriotism despite prevalent racism in the U.S. that I found inspiring.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorothy Height wrote not just a chronicle of the civil rights era, but a new American history book. Her fight has been for equality for people of color, and women as well. She is a gifted storyteller, who has been everywhere from Harlem to the White House, and has met the major cultural movers and shakers of about fifty years of this country's past. One thing I enjoy about Ms. Height is that fact that whenever she met someone, whether it was a sharecropper or a President, she interacted with them to further whatever project she was currently working on. She is one of the hardest working women in the equality business, and deserves a wider audience.