Dorothy Counts-Scoggins

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Dorothy Counts-Scoggins has dedicated her life working to enrich the lives of others and organizations in which to ultimately create a more just and caring world. After my experience with the desegregation of schools in Charlotte NC, I chose a life to ensure that all children would receive a quality education regardless of their race, religion and culture. In addition, be free from injustice and learn to live in a diverse world and be accepting of others.

In 1957, Dot at 15 years of age, began her journey as one of 4 African American students to change the inequality of Education in Charlotte NC and across the country. The two block walk toward the front door of Harding High school was met with racial opposition from students and adults through harassment and abuse. Upon entering the auditorium of the school it also continued. After four days of harassment, abuse and non-acceptance by her peers, teachers and administration, her parents withdrew her and she furthered her education in Yeadon Pennsylvania and Asheville North Carolina.

This pathway was the beginning of working toward ensuring that no other child would endure what she experienced and for them to know that it was their right as a citizen of this country to receive an equal education. Dot, began her career as a social worker for abused and neglected children in New York City, and then realized that in order for children to learn tolerance and acceptance it needed to begin at a very early age. Therefore, she became a preschool teacher, Community College instructor, administrator in various capacities in preschool and early childhood education services where she was able to work toward high quality early care and education for young children.

Fifty years later, in September of 2007, Dot was honored by being awarded a Harding High School honorary diploma from CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman. During that event, a documentary,
“9-4-57”, produced by television reporter and award-winning filmmaker Steve Crump, was aired to family, friends, citizens, students and public officials that captured my four days at Harding High School. During that same year, the Harding University’s School Leadership Team made a request to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education to rename the media center in Dot’s honor.

On May 25, 2007, the Board approved the request that the Media Center of Harding University be named “The Dorothy Counts-Scoggins Media Center”, an honor rarely bestowed upon living persons, In addition during that year, another Honorary Harding University diploma was awarded during the graduation exercise with other graduating seniors.

In June, 2007, Dot was invited to the Governor’s Mansion along with eight other pioneers from across the state that were involved in school desegregation. We were awarded the Old North State Award from Governor Easley. The Old North State Award honors outstanding North Carolinians for exemplary service and commitment to the state. A proclamation issued by the North Carolina Legislature that the recipients be commended for childhood courage in the face of taunts and threats.

Dot retired July 2012 as Vice President of Quality Improvement and Business Consultation at Child Care Resources Inc. after 24 years of service working in many capacities, and now has started her own Early Childhood consulting services to assist in the development and management of high quality early childhood programs for children. Dot has been sort after locally and nationally to speak on her experience in integrating Charlotte Mecklenburg’s schools and the importance of the history then and now.

Served as Consultant for the Charlotte Housing Authority in the building of the new Howard Levine Child Development Center in the Renaissance Community 2013-16, former Boulevard Homes.

Dot serves on the Advisory Board with the Women’s Inter-Cultural Exchange (WIE) whose mission is “Bridging TRUST across Race and Culture and was instrumenting in the 2017-18 school year working with others of WIE to launch the Mentoring Across Difference pilot program for high school girls at Garinger High School. The Mentoring program’s goal is to offer the mentees the tools needed to build trust across generation, race, culture and socio-economics, leading them on a path of success in the global economy.

Additionally, Dot is very interested in preserving and restoring the communities including the schools in the Northwest Corridor, therefore she serves on the board the Charlotte Area Fund, Historic West End Neighborhood Association, HWENA, and Northwest Corridor Council of Elders in partnership with Johnson C. Smith University.

Dot has served has a member of the CMS Cultural Competency Task Force, the CMS Bond Oversight Committee representing District 2 and a member of the County’s Early Childhood Executive committee which is to make recommendations for Universal Pre-K for children 0-5 years of age in Charlotte, NC., a volunteer of the Children and Youth Council of United Way of Central Carolinas and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Dot has also received many awards and recognitions from numerous organizations through the years for her courage and bravery to take that “first step” to change a system that was not equal for all children which includes the 2015 Whitney M. Young Legacy Award for Outstanding Dedication to Economic and Educational Inclusion given by the Urban League of Central Carolinas; was chosen as one of the 2017 Charlotteans of the year by Charlotte Magazine. In 2018 Dot was recognized at the 65th Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. as a Global Impact Award Recipient.; Charlotte 2018 Legend in Education recipient by the South Atlantic Region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; “Women Who Lead” 2018 UNCF Maya Angelou - Elizabeth Dargan Lifetime Achievement award as a Civic Leader and Civil Rights Activist; YWCA of Central Carolina 2018 Women of Achievement Pioneer Award; Harvey B. Gantt 2018 Equity and Equality Award; and the 2018 Community Impact Award, Charlotte Area Fund.

Dot received a BA degree in Psychology from Johnson C Smith University and received certification in Early Childhood Leadership at UNC-Chapel Hill and The Early Childhood Staffing Study” and “The Financial Side of Child Care at Wheelock College, Boston Massachusetts. In addition has a developed curriculum in Financial Management, Early Childhood Administration and served on the State-wide committee to develop the curriculum for the NC Administration Credential for Community Colleges (NCAC). Dot has also, conducted seminars on an array of Early Childhood topics at conferences on the local, state and national level.

Dot is the mother of two children, Nicole, of Tacoma, Washington and Mitchell, of Charlotte, five grandchildren and two great-grand children.