Dorothy Counts: A Historic Figure of Bravery and the Struggle for Civil Rights
Dorothy Counts, born in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1942, was thrust into the heart of the battle for desegregation at the tender age of 15. Raised in a well-educated family, she grew up near Johnson C. Smith University, where both her parents worked. Her father, Herman L. Counts Sr., was a professor of philosophy and religion, while her mother, Olethea Counts, was initially a homemaker before eventually becoming a dormitory director at the university. Dorothy was the only daughter among four children, and being the only girl meant she was often sheltered by her three brothers and her parents.
A Family Steeped in Education
The importance of education was deeply embedded in Dorothy’s family. Both of her parents, as well as various aunts and uncles, were educators, reinforcing the idea that knowledge was a path to freedom and equality. This upbringing instilled in Dorothy a quiet confidence that would later serve her well when she faced the vicious racial hostility of her peers.
In 1956, the Pearsall Plan was passed in North Carolina, allowing Black students to apply for transfers to white schools. In the aftermath of this legislation, forty Black students applied for such transfers, and the Counts family submitted applications for Dorothy and two of her brothers. Of the three, only Dorothy was accepted, making her the first Black student to enrol at Harry Harding High School in Charlotte.
The First Day at Harding High: A Moment that Defined an Era
On September 4, 1957, a Thursday morning that should have been a typical first day of school, Dorothy became one of four Black students to integrate all-white schools in the district. While her peers—Gus Roberts, his sister Girvaud Roberts, and Delois Huntley—attended other schools in the area, Dorothy was destined for Harry Harding High. It would be a day etched in history.
Dorothy’s father, Herman Counts, drove her to school that morning, accompanied by their family friend Edwin Thompkins. As they neared the school, they found the road blocked by a seething crowd of about 200 to 300 people, mostly students, but also parents and members of the community. Unable to drive any closer, Edwin offered to escort Dorothy to the entrance while her father parked the car. Before she stepped out, her father gave her a piece of advice that would stay with her:
“Hold your head high. You are inferior to no one.”
As she walked toward the school, the crowd's hostility quickly escalated. Emma Marie Taylor Warlick, the wife of a local White Citizens Council officer, incited the mob, urging boys to block Dorothy’s path and the girls to spit on her, shouting:
“Spit on her, girls, spit on her.”
Dorothy, however, walked with remarkable composure. She didn’t react to the jeers, the spit, or the rocks thrown her way. Later, she would tell the press that the rocks mostly landed in front of her, as if marking the space she had to navigate.
Among the crowd was a photographer, Douglas Martin, who captured an image of Dorothy walking through the mob. The photo would later win the prestigious 1957 World Press Photo of the Year award and become an iconic symbol of the battle for desegregation.
A Harrowing First Week
Once inside the school, the hostility did not end. Dorothy entered the auditorium to sit with her classmates, only to be greeted by the same barrage of insults she had encountered outside. Teachers ignored her, and not a single adult offered protection or support. By noon, her parents asked if she wanted to continue attending Harding High. Dorothy’s answer was one of hopeful resilience—she wanted to go back, believing that if her classmates got to know her, things might improve.
However, the torment was far from over. Dorothy fell ill with a fever the next day, forcing her to miss school on Friday. But by Monday, she returned, determined not to let the mob win. That morning, there was no crowd outside, but inside, the harassment escalated. Dorothy was seated at the back of the classroom, where she was ignored by her teacher. At lunchtime on Tuesday, a group of boys circled her and spat in her food. It was a dehumanising act, but Dorothy maintained her dignity. She left the cafeteria and met another new student from her homeroom who talked to her about being new to Charlotte and the school. When she returned home, she was relieved to tell her parents that she had made a friend.
But this sense of relief was short-lived. The next day, the girl who had spoken to Dorothy avoided her entirely, walking by with her head down. During lunch, a blackboard eraser was thrown at Dorothy, hitting the back of her head. She met her older brother outside for lunch, only to find that their family car had been vandalised, its windows smashed. For the first time, Dorothy felt fear—not just for herself, but for her family.
The Final Day at Harding
When Dorothy told her father what had happened, he immediately called the school superintendent and the local police chief. However, both men made it clear that they could not guarantee her safety. The family was left with no choice but to withdraw Dorothy from the school. Her father released a statement explaining their decision:
"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."
Although Dorothy’s time at Harding High was brief, her experience left a lasting mark. Her parents did not want her to believe that all white people were like those she had encountered at Harding. To ensure she had a more positive educational experience, they sent her to live with her aunt and uncle in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, where she attended an integrated public school for the remainder of her sophomore year.
Before her arrival, her aunt and uncle had met with the school principal to explain the ordeal she had gone through. The school held a meeting with students and teachers to ensure Dorothy would be treated equally, although she did not learn of this meeting until later. Her time at Yeadon was peaceful, and the stark contrast to Harding was a reminder that change was possible. Still, Dorothy felt homesick, and after finishing the school year, she returned to North Carolina to attend the Allen School, an all-girls private institution in Asheville. While the student body was not integrated, the faculty was, and Dorothy graduated from Allen School before enrolling at Johnson C. Smith University, where she earned her degree in psychology in 1964.
A Lifelong Advocate for Children
After graduating, Dorothy moved to New York, where she worked with abused and neglected children. She later returned to her hometown of Charlotte, continuing her work in non-profit organisations, focusing on helping children from low-income families. Her commitment to education and social justice never wavered, and her experience as a young girl who had faced down hatred and violence became the foundation of her lifelong advocacy.
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