Dorothy Counts

Dorothy "Dot" Counts-Scoggins (born March 25, 1942) is an American civil rights pioneer who was one of the first black students admitted to Harry P. Harding High School during school integration in the United States. After four days of harassment that threatened her safety, her parents withdrew her from the school, but the images of Counts-Scoggins being verbally assaulted by her white classmates were seen around the world. The three other students—Gus Roberts, his sister Girvaud Roberts and Delois Huntley—attended schools including Central High School, Piedmont Junior High School and Alexander Graham Junior High.

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 out of the car to head down the hill, her father told her, "Hold your head high. You are inferior to no one." 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 Douglas Martin won the 1957 World Press Photo of the Year with an image of Counts being mocked by a crowd on her first day of school.

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.

After Harry P. Harding High School Due to her experience at Harry P. 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 Yeadon, Pennsylvania, 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.

After graduating from college, Counts-Scoggins moved to New York, where she worked with abused and neglected children. She later moved back to Charlotte where she undertook non-profit work with children from low-income families. She remains active with her alma mater and is an advocate for the preservation of the history of Beatties Ford Road.

Recognition 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.

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 Mike Easley. In 2010, Harding High School renamed its library in honor of Counts-Scoggins, an honor rarely bestowed upon living persons.

In the 2016 Netflix documentary I Am Not Your Negro, James Baldwin 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."