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fifteen-year-old girl. While in class she was placed at the back of the classroom, and was ignored by her teacher. On
Tuesday, during lunch a group of boys circled her and spat in her food. She proceeded to go outside and met another new student who was part of her homeroom class who talked to Counts-Scoggins about being new to Charlotte and the school. When Counts-Scoggins returned home she told her parents that she felt better that she made a friend, and had someone to talk to. After her experience during her lunch period, Counts-Scoggins encouraged her parents to pick her up during her lunch period so that she could eat.
172:, urged the boys to "keep her out" and at the same time implored the girls to spit on her, saying: "Spit on her, girls, spit on her." Counts-Scoggins walked by without reacting, but told the press later that many people threw rocks at her—most of which landed in front of her feet—and that students formed walls but parted ways at the last instant to allow her to walk past. Photographer
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204:"It is with compassion for our native land and love for our daughter Dorothy that we withdraw her as a student at Harding High School. As long as we felt she could be protected from bodily injury and insults within the school's walls and upon the school premises, we were willing to grant her desire to study at Harding."
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Counts-Scoggins told her family what had occurred and her father called the superintendent and the police department to share with them what had happened. The superintendent told the family he was not aware of what was happening at Harry
Harding High School, and the police chief said that they could
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Counts-Scoggins fell ill the following day. With a fever and aching throat, she stayed home from school that Friday, but returned on Monday. After returning to school, there was no crowd present outside the school. However, students and faculty were shocked at her return and proceeded to harass the
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Counts-Scoggins was dropped off on her first day of school by her father, along with their family friend Edwin
Thompkins. As their car was blocked from going closer to the front entrance, Edwin offered to escort Counts-Scoggins to the front of the school while her father parked the car. As she got
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They agreed to share their story and from there, did many interviews and speaking engagements together. In 2008, Dorothy Counts-Scoggins along with seven other people were honored for helping integrate North
Carolina's public schools. Each honoree received the Old North State Award from Governor
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to finish her sophomore year, where she attended an integrated public school. Her aunt and uncle went to the school to talk to the principal about their niece's experiences and why she would be attending their high school. There was a meeting held at the high school with students and teachers to
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After entering the building, she went into the auditorium to sit with her class. She was met with the same harassment that occurred outside the school building, constantly hearing racial slurs shouted to her. She said that no adults assisted or protected her during this time. She mentioned after
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On
Wednesday, Counts-Scoggins saw the young girl in the hallway and the young girl proceeded to ignore Counts-Scoggins and hung her head. During her lunch period that day, a blackboard eraser was thrown at her and landed on the back of her head. As she proceeded to go outside and met her oldest
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In 2006, Counts-Scoggins received an email from a man named Woody Cooper. He had admitted to being one of the boys in the famous picture and wanted to apologize. They met up for lunch where Cooper asked her to forgive him and she responded by saying, "I forgave you a long time ago, this is
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assure that Counts-Scoggins would be treated like everyone else in the school. She would find this out later and was not aware of this meeting. Her time at Yeadon was pleasant, but she felt homesick, so after her sophomore year, she went to
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Counts-Scoggins says education was a huge part of her entire family; various aunts and uncles were educators. Because she was the only daughter in the family, she says she was often protected by her three brothers and parents.
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Due to her experience at Harry
Harding High School, her parents wanted her to go to an integrated school as they did not want her to assume all white people were the same. She was sent to live with her aunt and uncle in
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When she was fifteen, on
September 4, 1957, a Thursday, Counts-Scoggins was one of four black students enrolled at various all-white schools in the district; she was enrolled at Harry Harding High School in
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brother for lunch, she saw a crowd surrounding the family car, and the back windows were shattered. Counts-Scoggins says this was the first time she was afraid, because now her family was being attacked.
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After four days of harassment that threatened her safety, her parents withdrew her from the school, but the images of
Dorothy being verbally assaulted by her white classmates were seen around the world.
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recalled seeing photos of Counts-Scoggins, he wrote, "It made me furious and filled me with both hatred and pity and it made me ashamed--One of us should have been there with her."
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where both her parents worked. She was one of four children born to Herman L. Counts Sr. and
Olethea Counts and was the couple's only daughter. Her father was a professor of
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There were roughly 200 to 300 people in the crowd, mostly students. The harassment started when Emma Marie Taylor
Warlick, the wife of John Z. Warlick, an officer of the
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going to her homeroom to receive her books and schedule she was ignored. After the school day around noon, her parents asked if she wanted to continue going to
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not guarantee Counts-Scoggins' protection. After having this conversation, her father decided to take her out of the high school. He said in a statement:
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In 1956, forty Black students from North Carolina applied for transfers to a white school after the passing of the
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Counts walks to school on her first day, amid jeers from other students. (Photo by Douglas Martin, winner of 1957
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at the university and her mother was a homemaker and eventually became a dormitory director for the university.
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out of the car to head down the hill, her father told her, "Hold your head high. You are inferior to no one."
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The Dream Long Deferred: The Landmark Struggle for Desegregation in Charlotte, North Carolina
383:"From Observer archives (2007): Dorothy Counts at Harding High, a story of pride, prejudice"
360:"Charlotte Talks: Dorothy Counts Integrated CMS In 1957. The Story Behind Her Historic Walk"
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Photograph of Dorothy Counts's first day at Harding High School, World Press Photo
651:"This Racism Is Disgustingly Ugly. But She Obliterated It Without Batting An Eye"
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with an image of Counts being mocked by a crowd on her first day of school.
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409:"This picture signaled an end to segregation. Why has so little changed?"
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601:"A few footnotes on Oscar-nominated documentary 'I Am Not Your Negro'"
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https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article230967493.html
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opportunity to do something for our children and grandchildren."
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516:"Dorothy Counts at Harding High, a story of pride, prejudice"
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Jim Crow's Children: The Broken Promise of the Brown Decision
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After graduating from college, Counts-Scoggins would move to
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pioneer, and one of the first black students admitted to the
501:"Charlotteans of the Year 2017: Dorothy Counts-Scoggins"
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African-American history in Charlotte, North Carolina
141:. Of her family, only Counts-Scoggins was accepted.
542:"Dorothy Counts-Scoggins to receive public apology"
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254:and is an advocate for preserving the history of
372:The Emergence Of Diversity: African Americans
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624:(revised ed.). U of South Carolina P.
487:"Delta Sigma Theta: 96 years of sisterhood"
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552:from the original on September 16, 2015.
696:School segregation in the United States
427:"Obituary of Emma Marie Taylor Warlick"
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514:Tomlinson, Tommy (September 2, 2007).
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407:Graff, Michael (September 17, 2018).
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475:. Penguin Publishing Group. 2004.
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676:American civil rights activists
540:Burkins, Glenn (May 27, 2010).
209:After Harry Harding High School
681:American anti-racism activists
235:in 1964. In 1962, she pledged
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671:School desegregation pioneers
178:World Press Photo of the Year
127:World Press Photo of the Year
71:Dorothy "Dot" Counts-Scoggins
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73:(born March 25, 1942) is an
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149:. The three other students—
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225:Asheville, North Carolina
186:Harry Harding High School
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117:Harry Harding High School
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79:Harry Harding High School
46:Charlotte, North Carolina
618:Gaillard, Frye (2006).
568:The Charlotte Observer
520:The Charlotte Observer
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75:American civil rights
64:Civil rights activism
503:. November 20, 2017.
216:Yeadon, Pennsylvania
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603:. January 16, 2018.
489:. February 4, 2009.
285:I Am Not Your Negro
256:Beatties Ford Road
139:Kelly Alexander Sr
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453:on August 3, 2012
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432:Legacy.com
313:References
252:alma mater
248:low-income
239:sorority.
233:Psychology
103:philosophy
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550:Archived
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107:religion
56:American
280:Netflix
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576:2013
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