Category Archives: Reconciliation

Marshfield 2025 Descendant of Nat Turner and Dred Scott

Join us  on  Friday, April 25, 2025 at 4:30 p.m.  for the 14th Annual Dred Scott Reconciliation Forum – Two iconic freedom fighters’ descendants will be presenting “Two Historic Roads to Freedom” – Dr. Bryan Moore (Nat Turner’s great-great grandson) and Lynne Jackson (Dred Scott’s great-great granddaughter) will share the inside stories and answer puzzling questions about their ancestors who were neighbors in Southampton, VA. Peeling back the complex layers of their ancestor’s stories that marked our history for perpetuity and what they are doing today in response to reconciling the hurts – Marshfield Assembly of God (1538 W. Washington, Marshfield, Missouri.)

GRAND REOPENING OF THE OLD COURTHOUSE AND FESTIVAL IS MAY 3, 2025

After being closed for 5 years, the Old Courthouse in St. Louis will celebrate its long-awaited Grand Reopening on Saturday, May 3 at 10:00 a.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Along with totally revised galleries on the first floor and an expanded and beautifully attired new book store and gift shop, there is now an elevator to the second floor.

The building is now telling more of the stories of the history of the cases, uses, purpose and construction of the edifice.

Mock trails will continue to be held on the first floor’s new courtroom as well as in the refurbished original courtrooms upstairs.

Dred and Harriet Scott have a new gallery dedicated to the legacy of the impact of their story. 

Special guests will join the occasion that day.

Cbabi Bayoc is the designer of the festival’s theme. 

Across from the Scott’s room is the Pathways to Freedom gallery that explores African-American life in St. Louis, etc.

The festival will take place in Kiener Plaza until 3 p.m.  The courthouse will be open for visitors throughout the day until its closings at 5 pm.  The public is invited.

Gateway Arch Park Foundation – Old Court Grand Reopening

Spectrum News Article

The Civil War Roundtable of D.C – Dred Scott: Struggle for Freedom and Continued Legacy

The Civil War Roundtable of D.C. and President Lincoln’s Cottage have partnered to welcome Lynne Jackson, President and Founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation and the great, great granddaughter of Dred Scott.

Mrs. Jackson will give a presentation on Dred and Harriet Scott’s
11-year legal battle for freedom and the work of the foundation to promote commemoration, education and reconciliation in today’s fractured environment.

Click here for more information and to get tickets

Black History/Women’s History Month Upcoming Events

Challenging History Virtual Programs – Free (Registration is required) – Register Here!
February 12-Commerce Bank Black History Month Presents the History of Dred Scott-Lynne Jackson Presenting (not open to the public)
February 15-National Association of University Women (NAUM) North Shore IL Branch 30th Annual African American Educators Luncheon-Lynne Jackson Keynote Speaker
February 16-Youth for Justice Pilgrimage sponsored by Good Journey, Dionne Ferguson, Founder & Executive Director-Lynne Jackson, Panelist

Black and white youth from Indianapolis, Indiana will attend panel discussion in St. Louis regarding civil rights issues.

February 18-Paraquad Black History Month Presentation-Lynne Jackson Presenting
February 19-St. Louis County Library Black History Month Presentation-Earnest Hart Jr., Presenting
February 20-Alongside Dr. King, a Journalist’s Up-Close Perspective on the Civil Rights Movement, Presented by the Kirkwood Human Rights Commission.

This is a presentation by friend of DSHF, JNPA board member and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Law Firm Partner, Ben Clark, whose father wrote the Man of the Year article on Dr. King for Time Magazine. Location: Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. This live event is free.

February 21-MCSS Annual Convention-Lynne Jackson, Brent Trout, Jody Sowell-Keynote Speakers
March 21-National Council for History Education (NCHE) Conference -Panelist include Robert Good, Lynne M. Jackson, Anne Twitty, and Andrea S. Boyles, members of the Freedom Suits Memorial Foundation Board and Education Committee (see pages 9 & 10 of program)

Celebrating the Life of John Lebourgeois

In July 2024, we celebrated the life of a dear friend and family member, John LeBourgeois, the great-great-grandson of Charlotte Blow, daughter of Dred Scott’s original owners (Peter and Elizabeth Blow) who left this world on April 11, 2024. He was a member of Dred Scott Presents:  Sons and Daughters of Reconciliation and a staunch and devoted supporter of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation along with many of his family members. 

John and his wife Mimi, one daughter Anne and a nephew, Ashton, met Lynne Jackson in Southampton, VA at the dedication of the Dred Scott Blow Family Highway marker installed by another Blow descendant, Jeffrey Hines.  Because of Facebook, total strangers met whose lives were entwined. The other daughter, Louise, has participated in three major Dred Scott programs in Marshfield, Missouri, St. Louis, and at Calvary Cemetery.

The LeBourgeois family has been as dear to us today as their ancestors were to Dred Scott, helping him and Harriet in their eleven-year battle for freedom.  Today the family is engaged in helping us promote the principals and necessities as well as the joys of reconciliation.  I spoke at the memorial which was held in John’s favorite spot, Promontory Point Field House on Lakeshore Drive in Chicago, Illinois. John was a man of many disciplines and everyone who attended thought we knew him, until we heard the warm and hilarious stories about his life and career at the memorial.   I found out John was an artist. The caricature portrait of John was drawn by Tom Bachtell.

John’s family graciously invited donations to be sent to the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation and The Whitney Plantation. Rest in peace dear John and thank you for representing what God’s humanity to man can look like.  We will always remember and love you!

Lynne

New Marker for Harriet Scott

Harriet Robins Scott is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in St. Louis.  For many years, her location was not known.  Mrs. Etta Daniels had the records and a few people knew but it was not revealed publicly until 2006 when Mrs. Ruth Ann Hager, a certified genealogist was doing research on Harriet and through several attempts concluding with a phone call to Lynne Jackson, she was able to narrow down the many Harriet’s to one, our Harriet at Greenwood.  This happened to occur in 2006, a year prior to the 150th anniversary of the Dred Scott Decision in 2007. As Lynne likes to say, “She wasn’t going to miss out  on the party!”

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Harriet Scott Memorial Dedication Gallery

New Monument Celebrating the legacy of Dred Scott

Lynne Madison Jackson, President and Founder DSHF
Lynda Burgman, Grant Writer and avid supporter

On September 30, 2023  Dred Scott received a new memorial monument.  

It was for the occasion of the 165th anniversary of his death which was September 17, 1858.  As it turns out, that became Constitution Day!

The new monument replaces the wonderful headstone which has been there since 1957 and was donated by Mrs. Harrison of Pennsylvania, a descendant of Scott’s original owners Peter and Elizabeth Blow.

To share his legacy and impact on our nation, his great-great granddaughter, Lynne Madison Jackson and her Dred Scott Heritage Foundation, provided a new monument with the aspects of the Foundation’s goals of Commemoration, Education and Reconciliation noticeably visible.  The new memorial is in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, MO where Scott is among the top most asked for gravesites in the cemetery of over 300,000 persons.

Dred Scott Descendents
Pastor Rafael Green, Louise LeBourgeois, Brenda Young, Dawn Eden Goldstein,
Treasure Shields Redmond, Lynne Madison Jackson, Dred Scott Madison II,
Peggy Lewis LeCompte, Dr. David Konig, Dr. Kimberly Norwood
Dred Scott Board of Directors

Dred Scott Memorial Monument
Dedication Gallery 1
September 30, 2023

Dred Scott Memorial Monument
Dedication Gallery 2
September 30, 2023

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NO TEARS PROJECT

This event is free and open to the public but registration is required. Click on the image below to register!

You can watch the panel discussion here:
No Tears Project St. Louis: Recognition Before Reconciliation Panel Discussion

Who is Sam Blow?
An original poem by Treasure Shields Redmond

Here is a most beautiful poem penned by Ms. Treasure Redmond Shields about Dred Scott as seen through the eye of his wife Harriet.  I am greatly appreciative of the sincerity and gentleness with which she describes who the composite man was.  Bravo, Treasure. 
And Thank You!
Lynne M. Jackson

PHOTO GALLERY