New York, NY, April  20, 2010 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) mourns the passing of Dr. Dorothy Height, a trailblazing civil rights pioneer and American hero who was an inspiration for generations of Americans striving for justice and fair treatment for all. 

Robert G. Sugarman, ADL National Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

As we mourn the passing of Dr. Dorothy Height, we celebrate her life of service and commitment to justice.  She was a national treasure, an inspiration for generations of Americans, a fighter for empowerment of women and minorities, and a mentor and role model for so many.  As the longtime leader of the National Council of Negro Women and a pioneer and leading light of the civil rights movement, Dr. Height's passion for fairness and social justice helped shape the course of our nation's history. 

It is fitting that Dr. Height served for many years as the National Chairperson for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the nation's most important and diverse civil and human rights coalition.  Like the Leadership Conference, she knew how to bring people together and how coalitions can amplify and magnify our individual organizational voices. 

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.