Early Life and Family Background
BERNICE MCMURRAY SCOTT was born in Marion, Perry County, Alabama, United States of America on February 11, 1904. Out of the marriage, she was a daughter to Martin Van Buren McMurry and Mollie McMurry, and they turned out to be the source and foundation of her character. Bearing proximity to the truth, she tolerated and experienced this ordeal of intense racist segregation in her formative years in the early 20th century South.
Bernice was not the only child in the family; she had siblings with whom she shared her childhood: Emma Jenkins and Alonzo McMurry. Elements of community and resilience characterized the McMurry family, elements that Bernice would carry with her into her adult life.
Marriage and Motherhood
Bernice McMurray Scott wed Obie Scott, and from this union, they built a family devoted to good moral values and a commitment to education and social justice. The union was blessed with five children, namely, Eunice Scott, Edyth Scott Bagley, Coretta Scott King, Obadiah Leonard Scott, Jr., and one whose name is withheld.
Education and the fight for equity were treasured in the home of Bernice and Obie Scott. This was an environment that developed the abilities and dreams of their children, especially Coretta Scott King, daughter of the house, who would later become one of the vanguards in the American Civil Rights Movement by her marriage to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Obie Scott was a man of many talents and a community stalwart. Born on August 24, 1899, Obie Scott was bright and industrious. He was one of the first Blacks in his town to own a car and thus became one of his kind as a progressive-minded person. Before Obie Scott engaged in business, he once served as a policeman who, thereby, contributed to the further development of his image as an authority. He had been a barber by profession all his life and was involved in wood hauling and taxi driving. His commitment to providing for the family was met with an equally active role in the community by his wife, Bernice McMurray Scott. The wife and mother of twelve children, Bernice kept the Scott household running, drove the school bus, and served as the pianist at the church. All indicative of the deep involvement this couple kept in their town. Together, Obie Scott and his wife, Bernice McMurray Scott, made a formidable team of leaders who coalesced admiration and respect, and their powerful influence on the community will never be forgotten.
The Legacy of Bernice McMurray Scott
Now, while the name Bernice McMurray Scott may not be as well known as many other civil rights leaders, the proof of her efforts is secure in the lives that her offspring, particularly Coretta Scott King, lived. Bernice passed on lessons to her children that obviously would play an invaluable role in the life that Coretta was destined to live fighting for justice. Determination, grace, and the effectiveness of education were values that Bernice had passed on, and they were well translated through her children’s lives and their positive inputs into society.
Bernice lived to see the fruits of her labor, the impact of her family on the world. Her daughter, Edyth Scott Bagley, was an educator and activist. Coretta’s work with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left an indelible mark on the history of the United States.
Later Life and Death
Bernice McMurray Scott lived a long and full life, witnessing so much of the social change that is the hallmark of the United States. She passed away on February 26, 1996, in DeKalb County, Georgia, at the ripe old age of 92. Bernice was laid to rest in Perry County, Alabama, where the journey began.
For most of her life, even if it was lived largely beyond the public view, it was, in truth, a life of silent strength and great influence. The good values and fine principles she bequeathed to her children’s lives reverberated most loudly in their work to create civil rights and social justice for all in the next generations.
Net Worth and Legacy
Undoubtedly, there was no “personal” net worth, in terms of money, to speak of for Bernice McMurray Scott, living as a lady in the early 20th century. But the legacy she left will never be priced. She was rich not in what she had but in the values and attainments of her offspring. The commitment of the Scott family to education, social justice, and equality is her legacy.
Conclusion
Bernice McMurray Scott was a lifetime of determination, courage, and profound influence. She rose out of the Deep South of inequality and built a family that would shine in the future as a symbol of hope and transformation for this country. Her spirit is felt through her children, most notably Coretta Scott King, and the legacy and value of justice and equality that she embodied.
Berenice McMurray Scott did not reach for the spotlight, but her life shone a light on the world. Her life is represented against the forefront of family, education, and a strong lifetime commitment to justice.
