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Dred Scott, a fourthgrade teacher at Robinson Elementary School in Raytown, is a soft-spoken man who all his life has had to explain his first name. People ask: "Where did you ever get a name like that?"
"My father, Van Scott, named me," Scott said. "He had always said he would name his first son Dred. When he was in fourth grade, in St. Louis, he learned about Dred Scott, the first black slave to sue his owner for his freedom."
"I was in fourth grade at a Catholic grade school, and I saw a picture of Dred Scott and a caption about him. In those days that was all you got on black history in the history books," Van Scott said. "I wondered then if there was any connection to me and Dred Scott."
When you grow up in the Kansas City area with a name like Dred Scott, it is hard to go unnoticed.
Dred Scott, a fourthgrade teacher at Robinson Elementary School in Raytown, is a soft-spoken man who all his life has had to explain his first name. People ask: "Where did you ever get a name like that?"
Where else?
"My father, Van Scott, named me," Scott said. "He had always said he would name his first son Dred. When he was in fourth grade, in St. Louis, he learned about Dred Scott, the first black slave to sue his owner for his freedom."
Van Scott, who later majored in history at Rockhurst College and is now a lawyer in Atlanta, spent a lot of time studying the Dred Scott case so that he could explain the name to his son.
"I was in fourth grade at a Catholic grade school, and I saw a picture of Dred Scott and a caption about him. In those days that was all you got on black history in the history books," Van Scott said. "I wondered then if there was any connection to me and Dred Scott."
He found no relationship, but "it dwelled on my spirit, and I said, ` Someday Dred Scott will revisit this country. I'm going to name my son Dred.' And I did."
His son learned the story quickly.
"My father would say to me, ` You have a great name, and one day you will appreciate it,' " Scott recalled. "From an early age I knew the story."
The 19th century Dred Scott was a slave whose Missouri owner moved to Illinois, a free state. He lived for years as a free man until his owner moved back to Missouri. His owner again claimed him as property. The matter went to court.
"After 11 years, the Supreme Court finally ruled," Scott said. "What they said basically was: Once a slave, always a slave."
The slave lost the case, but Scott and his father saw him as a man of courage, determination and pride.
"When I was 9 years old my parents took me to St. Louis to get copies of the documents on the Dred Scott case," Scott said.
Scott said he always knew his name was different. When he was young, he thought it was awesome to be named after a famous black man. But as a teenager he didn't appreciate it.
"When I was in high school, I started calling myself ` Drey' because I didn't think Dred was cool. I wanted to be cool."
But as he grew, his real name grew on him.
In college at Southwest Missouri State in Springfield, "one of my first classes was a psychology lecture class, and there were about 200 students in there," Scott said. "The second day the professor called my name out. I started thinking about that and how my name made me stand out from everyone else."
Scott, 26, said that although his parents never pressured him to live up to his name, he always felt that he had to grow up to be a leader and a good example.
As a fourth-grade teacher, Scott says he is able to be just that.
"I have a quiet but stern style of teaching," Scott said. "I try to be gentle and respectful. I never raise my voice. In fact we don't crack a book in my class until we all learn respect for one another, confidence and trust."
Since the students study Missouri history in fourth grade, Scott uses his name to make sure the children always will remember who Dred Scott, the slave, was.
They learn that "it is always OK to be unique," he said. "And, it is always important to stand up for what you truly believe in."
Copyright Post Gazette Publishing Company Mar 5, 2000