DANVILLE, Va. – It was a centennial birthday for the books, as hundreds of Buffalo Soldiers all over the nation flocked to Danville to celebrate the life and legacy of Wendell Scott.
“This is my grandfather’s centennial birthday weekend,” Warrick Scott Sr. said. “He will be 101 on Monday, so we’ve released a Wendell Scott legacy trail that can be found on all the app stores and it highlights and showcases different strategic locations about my grandfather throughout the Southside region.”
As word travelled from Southside to the National Headquarters, National Secretary Reginald Marable knew what they had to do.
“This was something that we really wanted to be a part of, the National Presidents dispatched everyone out, and we’re here to celebrate Wendell Scott’s 101st birthday,” Marable said.
The ride highlights pieces and places of Wendell Scott’s life, telling a story that Southside President Calvin Harrell says aligns with the Buffalo Soldier’s mission.
“Keeping history alive, a lot of African Americans did good things in the community, he’s one of those, one of the first to win a NASCAR major series,” Harrell said. “The Buffalo Soldiers, starting out in 1866, all black regiments, it’s just good to keep the history alive and educate the community.”
The first stop on the ride was a place that is cherished in the Scott family.
“The home house, the garage where Scott racing took place, where it all happened, it’s where we grew up. We will have a chance to bring them to the garage to see where we lived and where we worked and created the magic all those years in NASCAR,” Scott said.
Riders were met with pieces of history that chronicled Wendell Scott’s struggle and triumph.
“My grandfather’s legacy is one of the greatest sports stories in all of American history, this is our way of continuing to move that ball forward, and continuing to expose people to our true legacy.”
For more information on the Wendell Scott Foundation, click here.