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Interviewee: Candice Scott

Interviewer: Dr. Mark Naison

Soror Candice Scott was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Eta Omega Omega Chapter, December 15, 1979, and has remained active in the Chapter since her initiation.

She was born Candice Val Ellison and attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in the Bronx. She also lived in Tracey Towers for 16 years (first family on the 23rd floor for six months).

Soror Scott understood at an early age that education is the pathway towards success and is an excellent example and role model to all Sorors in the Chapter. In 1962, Soror Scott was a member of the first New York City Open Enrollment Program which sent children from Harlem to "better" junior high schools in the Bronx. She attended JHS 115, Elizabeth Barrett Browning Junior High School. An all-girls JHS on 183rd and Ryer Ave.

Soror Scott majored in Sociology at the University of Bridgeport and received a bachelor's in psychology. She continued her commitment to educational advancement and received two master's degrees; a Master of Arts in Education from New York University; A Master of Science in Educational Administration from The City College of New York (CCNY). She then received a Doctorate (EDd) in Educational Administration from St. John's University.

Disciplines

African American Studies | Public History

Abstract

During her undergraduate years, she wrote a term paper describing life in Harlem that was used as an introduction to the Book, Harlem on My Mind" – Cultural Capital of Black American 1900-1968, which was initially published in 1969 as the catalog to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's controversial exhibition of the same name. Including the work of some of Harlem's most treasured photographers, among them James Van Der Zee and Gordon Parks, there are photographs of Harlem's literary lights―Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Richard Wright; its politicians―Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Adam Clayton Powell Jr.; and its musicians―Ethel Waters, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday. The book also includes photographs of the everyday folk who gave life to this legendary community. The images are juxtaposed with articles from publications such as the New York Times and the Amsterdam News, which have helped to record the life of one of New York's most memorialized neighborhoods. (Schoener, 2021). The irony of Today is the gentrified Harlem that has priced many black and brown people out of the neighborhood that their ancestors cultivated. Society is plagued with many of the same socio-economic and healthcare disparities that existed when the book was written. Today, many black people have migrated back to the South in search of affordable housing.

Soror Scott has spent her life dedicated to educating and uplift children. She is steadfast in her commitment to Eta Omega Omega's service programs that foster the development of children. Her professional life mirrors the exemplary work within Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She worked for the New York City Department of Education for thirty-eight years, was the first and only African American President of the Middle School Principal's Association of NYC, and served as a middle school principal in Queens for fourteen years. Her work continued, and she served as Dean of Academic Affairs for Five Towns College for two years and the Regional Director for the New York State Middle School Association for six years.

Soror Scott authored the book "Color Me Nia" in 2017 and worked with Emmett Wigglesworth, the renowned artist and illustrator.

From 1978 - 1991 Soror Scott taught general science at CIS 166X, started their Arista Program, conducted Career Day with some of the Sorors in the Chapter. She held the position of Interim Acting Assistant Principal for two years without pay.

Dr. Scott's years of dedication and service had improved the lives of countless individuals, and she has received numerous awards, accolades, and proclamations of appreciation, including:

  • Honored as the Woman of the Year for The Black Caucus of the Council of Supervisors and Administrators, the Long Island Branch of the National Association of University Women, and The National Association of Professional Women.

  • She was appointed as Assistant Unit Leader for the Long Island unit of the Retiree Council of Supervisors and Administrators.

  • Elected Vice President of the Long Island Branch of the National Association of University Women.

  • Received two Proclamations from the city and state government and received three Citations from city and state.

1986- I was a chaperone for District 9 science students to Cape Canaveral, FL. We went to see the space shuttle, but luckily it was too cloudy. The next day, the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded 72 minutes after take-off, but we were preparing to go back to the airport.

Soror Scott currently serves as president of the St. John's University Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa (the education fraternity) since 2017.

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