These remarks memorializing the late Buford Scott were made by Delegate Betsy Carr at the 2019 Fall Micah Kick-Off Meeting, on Thursday, September 12, 2019 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.
“Under Buford Scott’s leadership at St. Paul’s Episcopal church in the late 1990’s, the church decided to focus on a new outreach initiative. Buford offered that it should be of a magnitude that would “change the world.” A task force, led by Ruby Martin, former civil rights director under President Lyndon Johnson, set to work defining the parameters of this new outreach project, which took its name from Micah 6:8 which says, “what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.” The project ideally was to offer members the opportunity to experience transformation, to see themselves and perhaps operate in the world in a different way through their expanded perspectives.
Our youth group had had a pen pal relationship with Woodville, where the youth leader had reported noticing a very supportive and even spiritual atmosphere under the leadership of Principal Alberta Person. During Lent, Buford Scott read to a Woodville kindergarten class after which he had enjoyed being smothered by multiple hugs from all the children. He returned to Lenten lunch at St. Paul’s and said, “Why don’t we go to Woodville?” Ron Carey with RPS seconded the idea, saying that Alberta Person would be an excellent and ideal principal for us to begin to work with.
Under the auspices of Richmond Hill and Rev. Ben Campbell, Mieko Timmons and myself helped get together potential faith communities and elementary school partners. Our numbers went from 7 to 15 to 35 to 50 faith partners. Besides the Jewish, Baptist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Methodist congregations; Catholic, Muslim, Unitarian, Buddhist, Lutheran, Hindu and others were included. As the faith communities of the Micah Association became more deeply involved, what was beginning to happen was that Buford’s vision of changing the world was coming about. The world was changing for the students and for the volunteers who mentored them, it was changing for the faith community members who were learning about the lives of students, for families and teachers who lived in different parts of our metropolitan area. People across our area were working together for something that was important and would impact them all – to better the learning experiences and thus the lives of the young students in Richmond Public Schools.
We mourn Buford’s loss, and we celebrate his legacy of loving service which he has mentored us to carry on in his stead.”
— Delegate Betsy Carr, speaking at the 2019 Fall Micah Kick-Off Meeting, on Thursday, September 12, 2019