CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Friends, family, and community leaders coming together Thursday afternoon to honor a respected attorney and advocate in the community, Katherine “Kitty” Dooley.

Kitty Dooley speaking during the ceremony

The YWCA Charleston had a naming ceremony as they cut the ribbon to the new Katherine “Kitty” Dooley Center for Community Enrichment in honor of her commitment to justice, equity and community service. The new center is located at 412 Elizabeth Street.

Dooley is a West Virginia native who graduated from Marshall University and WVU College of Law. She has used her time as a community leader by helping marginalized communities, championing civil rights and expanding access to education and opportunity.

Dooley says that she is humbled because the sign bears her name, but also the people who shaped who she is today.

“I’m really humbled and proud, not so much that it’s my name but it’s my father and mother’s name, my grandmother was Kitty Dooley, so it’s my grandmother’s name,” she said.

Jennifer Pharr, councilwoman in Charleston and friend of Dooley’s said she had the honor of working with Kitty in getting the Honorary Martin Luther King Jr. Way, at the intersection of Court Street and Brawley Walkway.

She went on to say that Kitty is the embodiment of fighting for change and empowering others.

“When we talk about eliminating racism, empowering woman, and peace, justice and freedom for all, we say that Kitty embodies it, she does it every single day,” Pharr said during the ceremony.

She also said that Kitty had a hand in getting the building for the center. She said that private donor gave the YWCA $500,000 for the building, if the YWCA would match that. Dooley went around and met with different people to get the money. The goal was to raise one million dollars, but they instead ended up raising $2.4 million dollars.

Kitty said she hopes that the center can serve as a place the community can go to talk about the pressing issues we face, race, discrimination, education for children and poverty.

“It’s a safe space, there’s space where you can collaborate with others, there’s an opportunity to share, whether it’s videos or movies, so we can get a better understanding of some of the issues,” she said.

She also said that there is a library for anyone who wants to read books on those important issues.

Kitty and a friend cutting the ribbon to the new center

Kitty expressed the amount of support that she has received since the news broke about the center being named in her honor. She said she received calls, messages and flowers from supporters before the ceremony happened.

 

“It’s just been an outpouring of love from the community, my friends and family and I hope it means that people like me and if they don’t like me that they appreciate the work that I’ve tried to do in my lifetime,” she said.

And while the center is named after Kitty, she said that she wants to focus less on her and more about what the future holds for the center and the community.

“I just think it’s wonderful, what I want people to take away from it really is that it’s less about me and more about what the community can do when it comes together,” she said.