“Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It’s important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It’s the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.” – Dorothy Irene Height (1912-2010)

The Dorothy I. Height Education Foundation, the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), and Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., organizations Dr. Dorothy I. Height was actively involved with throughout her life, have called on people throughout the country and the world to stop in silent prayer on April 20 at 12 p.m. EDT, to mark the one-year anniversary of the civil rights activist’s passing. Members of NCNW will gather at its historic headquarters building at 633 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, to remember Dr. Height, chair and president emerita, who died April 20, 2010 in Washington, D.C. She was 98 years old.

“So many have reached out and asked what is the best way to recognize such a bittersweet anniversary,” said Alexis M. Herman, former Secretary of Labor and president of the Dorothy I. Height Education Foundation. “We felt wearing a touch of Dorothy’s favorite color, purple; taking a moment in prayer; and simply living life with a purpose would be appropriate ways to honor a life that inspired women and men to work together for the highest good.”

To learn more about Dr. Dorothy I. Height and her organizations, please visit www.ncnw.org.

A manager passes on an opportunity to raise an objection during a meeting, fearing her youth and petite stature will keep her from gaining the respect of older male colleagues and subordinates. A government public information officer simmers as senior leaders debate solutions for improving local news coverage without asking her opinion.

Today is International Women’s Day, the 100th anniversary of the day marked to recognize the economic, political and social achievements of women across the globe. As this year’s theme advocates for girls and women to gain equal access to education, training, science and technology, I can think of no better day to urge women to stand up and speak.

And by “stand up” I mean just that. Push yourself away from the conference table, your desk or the speaker phone — and get on your feet. You will be able to project more clearly, your voice will sound more commanding and your audience will listen. You will feel more confident and energetic as oxygen flows freely through your body. And best of all you won’t have to remind yourself to keep breathing.

Standing up while speaking makes a difference whether you’re conducting a media interview (radio especially!) by telephone, presenting your point of view during a management retreat or simply reinforcing your smarts. Your audience needs to hear from you — stand up and speak.

November 4, 2008 was a day of firsts:  Barack Obama was elected President and I learned that my Mom is on Facebook.

For more than 30 years my mother was the librarian at Yankee Ridge Elementary School in Urbana, IL.  When she began teaching in the early 1970s, she was the first black professional many of the students had ever met.  In 1976, she wrote a short phrase to teach the students about discrimination, acceptance and understanding:  “Life if short; therefore I shall be a crusader in the struggle against ignorance and fear, beginning with myself.”  Every class of kindergarten through sixth grade learned and recited the quote at the beginning of each class in the library.

She taught the students to ask questions about racism and inequality;  important but difficult topics for adults, much less young children, to discuss.  My mother talked about race because she believed it would make her students better people, neighbors and citizens. She read books to children as young as six and seven-years-old about the lives of actor Paul Robeson, teenage diarist and Holocaust victim Anne Frank, slave liberator Harriet Tubman, and workers’ advocate Cesar Chavez, among others. By the 1990s, Mom was teaching her students to “recite” the quote using American Sign Language.

While watching the news with President-Elect Obama speaking from Grant Park on Election Night 2008, I got an email from one of Mom’s former students.  The woman wanted to let Mom know how the campaign and Obama’s election had her recalling what she learned in my mother’s classes at Yankee Ridge some 20 years before.  Mom’s student wanted to share her good wishes on that special and historic night.

From the email, I learned that many of Mom’s former students had been sharing their memories – some touching, some outrageous — about my mom and her quote in the Facebook group Fast Times at Yankee Ridge.  After connecting with other former students, I found another group on Facebook, I learned sign language from Ms. Vickers-Shelley, featuring comments from yet more students who reflected on what my Mom’s teaching has meant in their lives.  Her former students include teachers, librarians, farmers, lawyers, activists and Moms and Dads.  One is an official in the Obama Administration, another runs an anti-racism nonprofit and another lives for classic Corvettes.  While they represent varied ethnic, racial, faith and political perspectives they share common values of acceptance and understanding.  And now I’ve become friends with many of them on Facebook.

Mom didn’t have a chance to see all the ways her legacy shaped her students. By the time Facebook was popular, she was struggling with Alzheimer’s disease.  When she passed away last year, many of Mom’s former students honored her by reciting and signing the life-shaping lesson they learned as children, “Life is short; therefore I shall be a crusader in the struggle against ignorance and fear, beginning with myself.”   My mother would have turned 76 years old today. She is still on Facebook.

DVStrategies helps leaders make a difference in their communities and in our world through strategic communications, public affairs, multicultural alliances and leadership development.  Founded by Dana Vickers Shelley, we provide creative, big-picture counsel, strategic planning, executive communications and team-building training to support individuals and organizations in their quest to connect strategy to passion and create change.

For the past three decades, Dana’s expertise as advisor, leader and manager in all aspects of communications has contributed to results at: a philanthropy devoted to vulnerable children and families; two global consumer brands; one of the nation’s top 100 black-owned businesses; a Cabinet department in the Clinton Administration; and as a spokeswoman for the Washington, DC government. We are excited to bring the energy, enthusiasm and experience from these and other successes to our clients.

For more information about how we might work together, please contact us at info [dot] strategies [dot] com.

info [at] dvstrategies [dot] com. .

My Twitter followers have come to know me as “Grown-up Girl Scout. Rabble-Rouser. Mentor. Strategist.”  These attributes reflect my life’s purpose: to make a difference in the world; to speak up and out when it comes to treating people fairly; to share what I’ve learned with others;  and to be imaginative in finding answers to big questions and solutions to big problems.

Thanks for visiting DVStrategies.  I’m excited to share news and information about the cool and interesting work I’m doing with leaders who are changing the world. DVStrategies looks at problems and challenges from a 50,000-foot view:  our clients rely on us to identify opportunities, develop messages and recommend actions that reach strategic audiences and deliver intended results.

Having managed dynamic and diverse teams in all aspects of public affairs, public relations, social media, online communications and publications, I also advise communications executives in leadership development and team building.  I’m most excited about the opportunity to guide individuals in identifying goals and audiences, developing compelling messages and determining effective strategies to address organizational and management challenges.

Thanks again for visiting.  I look forward to our conversations.