Dorothy F. Bailey is an American civic leader from

Prince George's County, Maryland Prince George's County (often shortened to PG County or PG) is located in the U.S. state of Maryland bordering the eastern portion of Washington, D.C. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population was 967,201, making it ...

. 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 The National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1935 with the mission to advance the opportunities and the quality of life for African-American women, their families, and communities. Mary McLeod Bethune, ...

and the

Association for the Study of African American Life and History The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) is a learned society dedicated to the study and appreciation of African-American History. The association was founded in Chicago on September 9, 1915, during the Natio ...

(ASALH). She established the county's

Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African-American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics, and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the ti ...

Festival, which has been held annually since 1999, and founded several community organizations. She was inducted into the

Maryland Women's Hall of Fame Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

in 2014.

Biography

She was born in

Dunn, North Carolina Dunn is the most populous city of Harnett County, North Carolina, Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,446 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is, along with Harnett County, part of the Anderson Creek ...

. She first became involved in civil rights advocacy while studying sociology at

North Carolina Central University North Carolina Central University (NCCU or NC Central) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by James E. Shepard in affiliati ...

, from which she received a B.A. degree in 1962. She pursued postgraduate studies in education and gerontology at

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

and the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the Univ ...

. Early in her career she taught in the public schools and worked in the

Upward Bound Upward Bound is a federally funded educational program within the United States. The program is one of a cluster of programs now referred to as Federal TRIO Programs, TRiO, all of which owe their existence to the federal Economic Opportunity Act ...

program. 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. 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. After leaving the council, Bailey served as parent liaison for the Prince George's County Public Schools. In 2001, Bailey was elected to the national executive council of the

(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

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. The festival draws thousands of visitors each year and features poetry readings, dance performances, visual art, and live jazz. Notable performers have included actor

Clifton Powell Clifton Powell (born March 16, 1956) is an American actor who primarily plays supporting roles in films, such as in '' Ray'' (2004), for which he received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture nomination. Ca ...

, who read the poetry of

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. An early innovator of jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harl ...

, and jazz vocalist

Jean Carne Jean Carn, also spelled Jean Carne (born Sarah Jean Perkins; March 15, 1947) is an American R&B/soul and jazz singer. In mid-career, she added a final ''e'' to her name. Carn is a vocalist credited with a five-octave vocal range. Biography Carn ...

. 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

Honors and awards

* Induction into the

, 2014 * Gladys Noon Spellman Award for Public Service *

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...

for Political Activism, 1999 * The National Council of Negro Women's Bethune Recognition Award *

's 2013 Alumnus of the Year * Induction into the Prince George's County Women's Hall of Fame, 1996 * Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Riverside Baptist College and Seminary, 1991

Publications

References

External links

The Wise Women Project

The Harlem Remembrance Foundation of Prince George's County

Kiamsha Youth Empowerment
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Dorothy F. Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American women politicians 20th-century Maryland politicians 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century African-American politicians 21st-century African-American women politicians 21st-century Maryland politicians 21st-century American women politicians Activists from Maryland Activists from North Carolina African-American activists Maryland Democrats North Carolina Central University alumni People from Dunn, North Carolina People from Temple Hills, Maryland Women in Maryland politics County commissioners in Maryland

Biography

Honors and awards

Publications

References

Further reading

External links