Greetings One and All!
The subject of this Blog is Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Newspaper which later gave way to The Catholic Worker Movement.
Dorothy Day was born on November 8, 1897 in Brooklyn, New York to Grace and John Day. Her father John was a writer for various newspapers and Dorothy would follow in her father's love for writing. She worked as a journalist on a number of small newspapers usually writing about the oppressive conditions of the poor. Throughout her life, Dorothy searched for a way to empower her fellow citizens, especially those most in need. Dorothy was a vocal advocate for the worker, organizing and participating in protests for the organization of unions, working for the right of women to vote and working against child labor. She is best known for her co-founding of the Catholic Worker Newspaper and Movement with Peter Maurin (a former Christian Brother from France). The results of this foundation are visible today in the multiple Catholic Worker Houses located in all corners of the world. The rationale behind these houses is simple; give a cup of coffee, some hot soup and fellowship to those most in need regardless of their social class, religious faith or issues of addiction.
I chose Dorothy Day because I believe she exemplifies a leader who took her gifts/talents and used them for the greater good of her fellow human beings. As I researched Dorothy, I was struck by the fact that she struggled to figure out the best possible way to be of service to her follow human beings while utilizing her gifts as a writer and public speaker. Dorothy never stopped learning. She was constantly reading and educating herself; always willing to advance her knowledge base which she would then apply to her writings, speeches and daily works with the poor. Because of her love for knowledge, Dorothy was a strong advocate for education. Her efforts against child labor were paralleled by her efforts to find ways to educate the children working 16 hour days in the garment industries of New York. These efforts often resulted in Dorothy taking on the role of teacher herself or, employing the gifts of her co-workers. It is this passionate love for learning and her drive to serve those most in need that influenced my selection of Dorothy Day as my subject for this leadership blog.
References
Day, D. (1952). The Long Loneliness. San Francisco: Harper & Row.
http://www.catholicworker.com/ddaybio.htm
http://www.dorothydayguild.org
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Grace,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this wonderful story of Dorthy Day. I had not heard of her and am impressed by her talents and impact she left behind. I’m always particularly struck when leaders embrace their faith as part of their leadership style, as Dorthy Day did. Colin Powell is Anglican/Episcopalian by faith and has often reflected on those teachings in his decision making process. In the politically correct world that public service is, he was never afraid to quote scripture when the wisdom was relevant. Even as recently as the 2008 presidential campaign season; he spoke out against the bigotry of the anti-Muslim sentiment that was being thrust at Barack Obama. That stance he took was not popular with his own political party; however it reveals the strength of character I admire.
Grace I know you are a person of strong faith, and I’d like to think God is guiding me to better serve people as well. It is comforting to know so many leaders of notoriety have taken strength from their faith and put it to use by improving the lives of others.
Dean
Hi Grace,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to learn more about Dorothy Day as I don't really know a great deal about her. She sounds like a leader who finds a lot of her strength in her faith (like Maria Montessori). I also was unaware she was an advocate for education and at the heart of the Catholic Worker Movement. It sounds like she used her extraordinary talents to reach out and help others find a better way of life. She is a teacher of teachers.
Sue