Black History Month Spotlight: Spears Executive Ph.D Alum, Dr. Edward Scott

Friday, February 25, 2022

Media Contact: Bailey Stacy | Communications Coordinator, Marketing & Communications | 405-744-2700 | bailey.stacy@okstate.edu

For our third and final Black History Month Spotlight, we chose Dr. Edward E. Scott. He received his Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University within our Executive Ph.D. program. He also has an executive MBA from Texas Christian University and a bachelor’s in accounting at Point Park University. He is currently an instructor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is a CPA. 

This month has a different meaning to everyone, but for Scott specifically here is what he said Black History Month meant to him.

“Black History Month means a time for solemn reflection about the sacrifices our ancestors have made to provide us the opportunities we have today,” Scott said. “We have the opportunity to learn about our history dating from ancient Africa to the present. We have the opportunity to use that history to inspire us in the present to work collectively to improve the social, economic and health of Black people around the world and society as a whole.”

What does he hope people gain from Black History Month? 

“I hope that people receive factual information about the struggles and sacrifices Black people have endured to survive and that out of the struggles and sacrifices all people learn about the tremendous contributions of Black people to the world since civilization began in Africa,” Scott said. “When Carter G. Woodson initiated Black History week in 1926, one of the reasons he initiated it was to collect historical information about the lived experiences of Black people, so that we have a repository of powerful information that we remember and use to advance.”

Lastly, when it comes to Black History documentaries, Scott shared that his favorite documentaries are on “www.Knarrative.com, in the Resources section under ‘You Should Know (YSK) Historical Figures.’ Historical figures such as Lerone Bennett Jr.; Henry Bibb; Robert Church Sr.; Hubert Henry Harrison; Anna Arnold Hedgeman; Thaddeus Kosciuszko; Charles H. Loeb; Eslanda Robeson; Howard Thurman; Dorothy Porter Wesley; and Charles White are discussed.”

Story By: Alexis Hightower | alexis.hightower@okstate.edu