Dean Keith A. Alford Commemorates Black History Month

I join others on UB’s campus and throughout our nation in commemorating Black History Month. I am particularly reminded of the notable contributions Black Americans in the field of social work have made not only to social work practice but also to advancing social justice and the Civil Rights Movement. Two of the most renowned historical figures that come to mind are the late Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr., whose work was exemplary.

I grew up in South Carolina and can recall Dorothy I. Height making appearances and giving speeches at civil rights events. She was known for her dedication to advancing the status of Black people through her work as an administrator, educator, and prominent social activist. To confront the obstacles of prejudice and racism facing Blacks, Height became a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. In fact, she and Whitney Young, Jr. were on the front lines of the movement with Martin Luther King, Jr. I keenly recall her notable work with the National Council of Negro Women, holding the office of president. This organization, with its emphasis on empowerment and equality, still exists today with chapters across the country. It has been chronicled that Height earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in psychology and went on to do postgraduate work at Columbia University and the New York University School of Social Work. Amazingly, she started in her first job as a case worker for the New York City Welfare Department. I feel fortunate to have been motivated by her determined humanitarian influence, first as a child and later as an adult. A recipient of numerous awards and honors for her racial equality and social justice work, Height died in 2010 at the age of 98. 

Whitney M. Young, Jr. is a name that rises to the top for me as I reflect on social work pioneers during this Black History Month. His name is one that is synonymous with diplomacy, as he was an advisor to Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. I recall studying his tremendous contributions during my graduate school days as an MSW student. Records note that he graduated with a bachelor of science degree in social work from Kentucky State University. Trained as an electrical engineer at MIT, he was assigned to a Black crew doing road construction, supervised by White officers, during World War II. His activism in the Civil Rights Movement grew out of his ability to successfully advocate for the Black soldiers in his leadership capacity as first sergeant. Young went on to earn a master’s degree in social work from the University of Minnesota and was later named Dean of Social Work at Atlanta University. He also served as president of the National Association of Social Workers and was a key organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. Like Height, he too was the recipient of countless awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to him in 1969 by President Johnson. Young died at the age of 49 in 1971—a remarkable life that ended too soon. 

The work of Height and Young was so significant that the National Association of Social Workers named the Congressional Social Work Reinvestment Act of 2019 for them. As we reflect on their accomplishments, let us honor the Black social workers of yesteryear who led in meaningful and magnanimous ways—stalwart forerunners to the Black Lives Matter movement of today.  

Keith A. Alford, PhD, ACSW
Dean and Professor