Google doodle honors civil rights activist Dorothy Height
theGRIO REPORT - Dorothy Height, who is also known as "God-mother of civil rights", was honored on the homepage of Google Monday.
Dorothy Height, who is known as “godmother” of the civil rights movement, was honored on the homepage of Google on Monday.
The oft-unsung hero was featured in a doodle created by the tech giant in commemoration of her 102nd birthday.
The doodles are quirky and fun illustrations that celebrate holidays, anniversaries and the lives of iconic historical figures on the Google homepage.
Height’s advocacy against desegregation and contributions to advancing womens’ rights solidified her status as a trailblazer in many ways.
She was an educator and activist who worked heavily in advancing the civil rights and feminist movements – and she sat behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he delivered his “I Have a Dream Speech.”
To add to her accolades, Height was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.
theGrio slideshow: The life of civil rights legend Dorothy Height
According to a recent analysis, research shows that Google has rarely identified or commemorated historical female figures through their doodles and even fewer African-American women.
The latest black female trailblazer to be honored was writer Zora Neal Hurston earlier this year.
However, Google is taking an active approach in addressing the gender imbalance represented through their doodles. Google representatives say they aim to have men and women equally represented on their homepage within the coming year — and honoring Height is just one step in the right direction.
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