Height, Walker honored for their King-like spirit

The ceremony, held annually on the Thursday before the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, included a blessing by Rev. Randy Bush, pastor of East Liberty Presbyterian Church; proclamation presentations from Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and State Representative Ed Gainey; a special musical performance from 7th and 8th graders of Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12, led by Choral Ensemble Director Gerald Savage; acceptance speeches from the honorees; a video tribute; and a presentation of pictures of the new Spirit of King site which is located at the new Port Authority transit center.

“When we talk about Dr. Martin Luther King and his greatness and his legacy, we sometimes don’t recall the work of others. This event always reminds us that there is room, plenty of room for the work of others, including us, in the fight for equality and justice,” said Amanda Green Hawkins, a member of the Port Authority board of directors, who presented the awards.
Height, who died in 2010 at the age of 98, grew up in Rankin, Pa., and spent her life being an educator and activist for civil and women’s rights. Considered to be the godmother of the Civil Rights Movement to some, Height is recognized for her service as the president of the National Council of Negro Women, a national position she held for decades. She also worked as a caseworker for the New York City Welfare Department, was a national staff member of the YWCA and served on various national civil rights committees. Height, whose memoir, “Open Wide the Freedom Gates,” was turned into a musical, has received numerous national awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Congressional Gold Medal. She also organized the March on Washington and stood near King when he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.

In absence of her family, the Rankin/Mon Valley/ Pittsburgh Chapter President Flora Jackson accepted the honor on Height’s behalf. Jackson, who said she was humbled to accept the award, spoke on the importance of sharing the history of Height and others like her.
“We have to be very careful in making sure our history is visible because there’s so much inspiration in what she has done,” she said. “I’ve been working very hard to make sure this legacy stays alive. (We need to) keep it visible, have it in the books and make sure our children are reading about the legacy that came from this area.”
Like Height, Curtis Walker, who grew up in Aliquippa and died in 2006 at the age of 73, was also an educator and spent his life being a mentor to those around him. Always believing that he could give back by making a difference, went from being a teacher in the Aliquippa School District and at the University of Pittsburgh, to a top administrator in the Pittsburgh School District. Most notably, he served as the deputy and associate superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools, and the executive officer of the district’s Equity, Compliance and Community Relations Department. Known for always giving back through his service to many committees, boards and organizations, Curtis Walker is credited with organizing the Pittsburgh Chapter of the United Negro College Fund.
Accepting the award on behalf of her father and her family—her mother, Margie, and her sister, Anita—Curtistine Walker said, “I feel very blessed and I’m very thankful that they (the Spirit of King committee) saw fit to choose him for the award. He certainly spent most of his life in leadership roles to try and make a change.” She added that, “he believed in education. He didn’t just believe in education as a career, he believed in using education to make change to inspire children, and to even work with and develop their parents. And in doing so, that was his way of seeing to it that he invested in the future and also invested in positive change for everyone.”
Curtistine Walker said she knows her father would be proud of receiving this honor and hopes that his legacy continues to live on through the people he has mentored and his family.
Although the theme was yesterday’s work, there was also talk of what’s needed for today and tomorrow. Max Miller, president of the Kingsley Association, said, “We all have to challenge ourselves each day to make sure that we are going to be a part of positive change.”
Following the ceremony, refreshments and a light lunch were served courtesy of Bistro to Go and Giant Eagle Inc.
 
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