Katie Dorsett has made
her mark in North Carolina and African-American history by accomplishing many
firsts. Ms. Dorsett became the first black woman to be elected to the Greensboro
City Council and served from 1983 until 1986. In December 1992, she made history
when North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt appointed her secretary of the Department
of Administration -- the first African-American female to hold a state cabinet
post in the Tar Heel state.
Secretary Dorsett, the youngest
of eight children, was born in the Mississippi Delta in the small town of Shaw.
Her mother, a school teacher, and father, a farmer, believed in preparing their
children for the future. Secretary Dorsett began her formal education at the
age of four. At 12, like her siblings, she attended Southern Christian Institute
Board School, some 300 miles away from home.
"There is no limit
to what you can achieve if you're willing to work to get it."
She demonstrated her commitment
to education by earning a bachelor of science degree in business education from
Alcorn State University, a master of science degree in business from Indiana
University, and a doctorate in education from the University of North Carolina
at Greensboro. For 32 years until her retirement, she taught mentored, and guided
students at the School of Business and Economics at North Carolina A & T State
University.
Secretary Dorsett is a tireless
community servant who has worked with such organizations as the United Way of
North Carolina and the League of Women Voters and on such issues as sickle cell
syndrome and substance abuse.
To America's youth, Secretary
Dorsett offers inspiration and advice on how to achieve your dreams. "There
is no limit to what you can achieve if you're willing to work to get it. I'm
constantly amazed at supposedly ordinary people who overcome poverty, discrimination,
illness and other adversities to become great leaders, scientists, business
tycoons, entertainers, athletes and others. Find something you truly love, devote
yourself to continually improving your craft, and don't stop until you achieve
your dream. The happiest people I know are people who are doing what they truly
love to do. They are rich in the joy of life and have a lot of love to share
with others.
