Dr. Manderline Scales: ‘The ultimate servant leader’

Throughout the month of February, The Chronicle has focused our History, Heritage, Culture Series on spotlighting the Black heroes who made a significant contribution to the city of Winston-Salem. This week we uplift the legacy of Dr. Manderline Scales.  Born in 1928 at a time when inequality and segregation was commonplace, Scales was determined to make something of herself. In the East Winston neighborhood she grew up in, the importance of education and giving back were ingrained at an early age.   “Very much high on community, very high family, education and taking care of each other,” said Porsche Jones, Dr. Scales’ granddaughter, when discussing her grandmother’s upbringing.   After grade school, Dr. Scales went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College, where she was a classmate of Christina King, the older sister of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scales went on to earn her master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  In 1949 Dr. Scales started teaching in the local school district when she took a job at her alma mater, Atkins High School. Atkins (now Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy) was Winston-Salem’s first high school for Black students.   While...