Dorothy Height Hall
As a millennial, I feel like I missed out on so many iconic Black sitcoms. Don’t get me wrong—I'm incredibly thankful for the shows that shaped my experience. Issa Rae guided me through the ups and downs of working at a nonprofit in my twenties, and Janine’s character in Abbott Elementary truly makes me miss the time I spent in early childhood education. But I can’t help but feel like I was born just a bit too late to want Kadijah James as my roommate or to weigh in on Martin & Gina’s relationship. I miss a lot of cultural references, but I’m doing my best to catch up. One of my personal favorites in my recent binge-watching sessions has been Netflix’s latest addition, A Different World. The show may have ended in the early '90s, but it feels just as relevant today, especially now that I’ve been able to revisit it.
As if season four didn’t leave us hanging enough with its dramatic cliffhanger, imagine my surprise when season five picks up and suddenly, the students of Hillman College (including the introduction of a character played by a young Jada Pinkett not-yet Smith) are living in Dorothy Height Hall. Whitley and Dwayne’s relationship may have been new to me, but Dorothy Height is certainly no stranger.
Dr. Dorothy Height was a civil rights icon whose name, unfortunately, isn’t as widely recognized as some of the men from the same era. Yet her contributions were groundbreaking. She was instrumental in organizing the historic March on Washington and, remarkably, stood alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the podium during his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. However, despite her pivotal role, Dr. Height was not allowed to address the crowd that day—simply because she was a woman. She served as the president of the National Council of Negro Women, where she tirelessly worked to improve the lives of Black women and families. Her efforts were so impactful that in 1994, President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest honors in the United States, and was the face of a forever stamp in 2017.
But her legacy didn’t stop there. Dr. Height’s life was marked by relentless activism, much of it focused on the YWCA. As a young girl, she was once denied entry to a swimming pool at a YWCA, an experience that became a defining moment for her. This injustice ignited a passion within her to fight for the desegregation of YWCAs nationwide. In fact, it was through her advocacy that the YWCA introduced its One Imperative—an initiative aimed at eliminating racism wherever it exists, by any means necessary. Dr. Height lived long enough not only to collaborate with Martin Luther King Jr., but also to sit on the presidential platform and witness the inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2009. Her presence at such a historic moment felt like a powerful bookend to a life dedicated to justice.
Now, spoiler alert, since Ava is no longer the principal at Abbott Elementary, I have a vision: I would love to see her take on a new role as a leader at Dr. Dorothy Height High School. It feels like the perfect fit—after all, Dr. Height grew up in Pennsylvania, and Ava seems far more suited to work with high school students than the elementary crowd. One of Dr. Height’s most memorable quotes is, “If the time is not right, we have to ripen the time.” I believe now is the time to spotlight these unsung heroes, to ensure their stories are woven into the fabric of our popular culture. By doing so, we can ensure that the next generation learns about the incredible individuals whose shoulders we stand on. Let’s make it happen, Quinta! The time is now.