Dorothy F. Bailey

Dorothy F. Bailey
Born
Dunn, North Carolina, U.S.
Alma materNorth Carolina Central University
Known for

Dorothy F. Bailey is an American civic leader from Prince George's County, Maryland. She served on the county council for eight years, serving two terms as chairman. She has served on the boards of many national and local organizations, including the National Council of Negro Women and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). She established the county's Harlem Renaissance Festival, which has been held annually since 1999, and founded several community organizations. She was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame in 2014.

Biography

She was born in Dunn, North Carolina. She first became involved in civil rights advocacy while studying sociology at North Carolina Central University, from which she received a B.A. degree in 1962.[1] She pursued postgraduate studies in education and gerontology at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Maryland. Early in her career she taught in the public schools and worked in the University of Maryland's Upward Bound program.[2]

From 1983 to 1994, she held senior-level positions at several Prince George's County government agencies, including executive director of the Consumer Protection Commission, and community partnerships director at the Department of Family Services.[3] In 1994 she was elected to the Prince George's county council, where she served for eight years. She was council chairman for two terms and vice chair for three terms.[2] After leaving the council, Bailey served as parent liaison for the Prince George's County Public Schools.[3]

In 2001, Bailey was elected to the national executive council of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH); she is also president of the Prince George's County chapter. In 2002 she founded the Harlem Remembrance Foundation of Prince George's County, serving as its chairman of the board from 2003 to 2011. The foundation holds the annual Harlem Renaissance Festival, an idea Bailey conceived as a way to highlight the artistic and cultural contributions of African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance era, and to showcase the work of county residents who continue that legacy.[4] The festival draws thousands of visitors each year and features poetry readings, dance performances, visual art, and live jazz.[5] Notable performers have included actor Clifton Powell, who read the poetry of Langston Hughes, and jazz vocalist Jean Carne.[6]

Bailey was instrumental in the founding of several other non-profit organizations, including the LEARN Foundation (Landover Educational Athletic Recreational Non-Profit), the Kiamsha Youth Empowerment Organization, and the Royal Bafokeng Sister City Friendship Committee. She has also served on the national and local boards of the National Council of Negro Women.[2][7][8]

Honors and awards

Publications

  • Bailey, Dorothy F. (2011). In a Different Light: Reflections and Beauty of Wise Women of Color. coProductions LLC. ISBN 9780615455341.

References

  1. ^ "North Carolina Central University Salutes Founder James E. Shepard and Its Golden Eagles". US Fed News Service. November 4, 2012. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Maryland Women's Hall of Fame: Dorothy F. Bailey". State of Maryland.
  3. ^ a b "Meet the Commissioners". Prince George's County Planning Board. Archived from the original on 2016-07-03. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  4. ^ "The Honorable Dorothy F. Bailey". Harlem Remembrance Foundation of Prince George's County.
  5. ^ Zeuthen, Kasper (April 28, 1999). "Harlem Serenade: Prince George's Festival Aims to Inspire, Educate". The Washington Post.
  6. ^ Hopkinson, Natalie (May 4, 2000). "Return of Harlem Renaissance". The Washington Post.
  7. ^ Frazier, Lisa (December 3, 1997). "Pr. George's Leader Describes Shift on Forced Busing; Growing Power of Blacks Played Pivotal Role, Bailey Testifies in Bid to End Federal Lawsuit". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016.
  8. ^ Spinner, Jackie (December 15, 1999). "Bailey Returns To Power; Council Leader Previews Agenda". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016.
  9. ^ Frazier, Lisa (November 24, 1999). "A Big Message from a Small Messenger". The Washington Post.
  10. ^ Howe, Desson (October 31, 1998). "Democrats See Challenge in Only Two Districts". The Washington Post.

Further reading