Honoring Black History Through Child Advocacy: Dorothy Pitman Hughes

Dorothy Pitman Hughes, born 1938, is a social welfare advocate, feminist and African-American activist. When she was 10 years old, her father was beaten and left for dead, a crime the family believes was committed by Ku Klux Klan members. She decided as a child that she would devote her life to activism.

Hughes owned and operated three early childcare centers, and an office supply business in Harlem. She co-founded the New York City Agency for Child Development, providing child welfare services, education services and juvenile justice services. In addition, Hughes organized the first shelter for battered women in New York City.