Obama Leads Last Salute to Dorothy Height

President Obama spoke at Dorothy Height's funeral today, calling on Americans to honor the memory of the late civil rights leader by serving their country and making it better. "We can all be drum majors for a righteous cause," the president declared. He said she'd lived a righteous life and "deserves a place" in our history books.

Obama also struck a light note at the somber event, mentioning Height's colorful hats "that she wore like a crown." Height, who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and led the National Council of Negro Women for decades, died last week at age 98. Her funeral was held today at Washington National Cathedral, with numerous members of Congress and civil rights activists in attendance. (More Dorothy Height stories.)