Hayes was open about the experience she faced: “When I came to New York ten years ago I couldn’t find anybody Black in the commercial art field. Finally, after I found a job on my own, I did start to encounter Black people. But in the course of trying to develop my talent I discovered that if I went to them for some direction, they just wouldn't give it.” Hayes was able to overcome the challenges she faced, and was keen on supporting the Black community in their design aspirations, along with co-curating the Black Artist in Graphic Communication exhibition. Serving as a professor at New York Technical College, Dorothy Hayes also established Dorothy's Door, a commercial design agency.