Secretary of State Hillary Clinton celebrates the life of Dorothy Height at Shiloh Baptist Church. "She was elegant, but she had no airs. She was passionate but never overheated," Clinton said.
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
Former president Bill Clinton said of Height: "She was out there ahead of her time; that's what made her beautiful. If ever anyone earned her way, Dorothy Height did."
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty addresses the at least 1,300 people who gathered to celebrate the life of the civil rights pioneer.
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, left, U.S. Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) were at the service, at which Stevie Wonder sang "I'll Be Loving You Always."
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) described Height as "a woman of grace, elegance and modesty."
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
Ella James, left, and Vivian L. Smith, a former vice chairwoman of the National Council of Negro Women, attend a service honoring Height, who served as the NCNW president from 1947 to 1956.
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
Timothy Jenkins joins hundreds of people in line waiting to enter Shiloh Baptist Church.
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
Ernestine Taylor was among the attendants at the send-off for Height. Many women wore hats, Height's signature sartorial statement.
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
People gather at Shiloh Baptist Church for the service. Guests included Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), Bill Cosby and actress Cicely Tyson.
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
At the ceremony, Bernice King, the youngest child of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., brought many in the crowd to their feet with a stirring speech that challenged them to carry on the legacy of the civil rights movement.
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
April 28
Height's casket is on view at the National Council on Negro Women. Members of Congress and invited guests were among those who filed past Wednesday.
Bill O'Leary-The Washington Post
April 28
Many people arriving to bid farewell to Height wore hats, a tribute to the woman who was rarely seen without a proper topper.
Bill O'Leary-The Washington Post
April 28
Kent Amos carries a picture of Height. A funeral is planned Thursday at Washington National Cathedral.
Bill O'Leary-The Washington Post
April 27
Annette Edwards pays homage to Height at the building and the organization for which the civil rights advocate worked so diligently, the National Council of Negro Women.
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
April 27
Board members of the National Council of Negro Women pay their respects as Height's body arrives to lie in repose at the group's headquarters. Many women wore hats in remembrance of Height, who was seldom seen without a stylish hat perched upon her head.
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
April 27
An honor guard carries Height's coffin to the National Council of Negro Women's headquarters.
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
April 27
Maxine Sullivan, a past president of the Co-op City section of the National Council of Negro Women, traveled from the Bronx, N.Y. Doors to the Height building opened to the public at 6 p.m., and several hundred people waited about 90 minutes to pay their respects.
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
April 27
Height's body arrives for repose at the National Council of Negro Women's Dorothy I. Height Building. A royal blue hearse pulled up to the building about 4:30 p.m. Inside was the cherry wood coffin carrying her remains.
Marvin Joseph-The Washington Post
Gallery Credits:
Dorothy Height's fashion flair
Dorothy Height's Civil Rights Legacy