I, Dred Scott, A Musical tells the story of Dred and Harriet Scott and their two daughters’ fight for freedom. Written, produced, and directed by Shelia P. Moses and starring Bobby Norfolk, this new musical takes a personal look at the Scotts—and how their lives were forever changed following an infamous US Supreme Court decision.
Missouri Historical Society | Find Yourself Here.
On Oct 19-21, Reclaiming Our Ancestors II will happen again at the University of Buffalo in New York. Under the leadership and inspiration of Professor Kari Winter. Lynne Jackson will return and share ideas about how to create public history monuments and to create interracial dialogues based on her years of experience as founder and president of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation in Missouri. This program is a follow-up to the initial conference Professor Winter held in 2015. A host of descendants, historians and academicians will connect have community conversations on racial justice and public history.
This conference is made possible by the generous co-sponsorship of the UB Gender Institute as part of Gender Week, the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy, and the Departments of English, History, and Transnational Studies.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Space is limited.
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As part of the 2015 conference, Lynne and 4 other descendants shared at the Lapidus Center for an evening of discussion at the Schomburg Center in Harlem, NY.
View following links of further interest below:
livestream.com/schomburgcenter/events/4865924/videos/115955014
www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2017/09/030.html
file:///C:/Users/parrc/Downloads/ReclaimingOurAncestors-Announcement%20(1).pdf
file:///C:/Users/parrc/Downloads/ReclaimingOurAncestors-Poster.final%20(1).pdf
http://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2017/09/winter-reclaiming-ancestors.html
http://humanitiesinstitute.buffalo.edu/event/hi-conference-reclaiming-our-ancestors/
Hello Everyone,
I am sending you the wonderful program that was created for the radio show “More Perfect“. This link below will take you to the podcast created by the New York flagship NPR station WNYC about our 2016 Dred Scott Reconciliation Conference in St. Louis, MO at the Hilton Frontenac.
http://www.wnyc.org/story/american-pendulum-ii-dred-scott/
Due to my own schedule, I just had a quiet time today to hear it for the first time. Thank you all for your contribution to the program which made this widely distributed program available. We are grateful for the coverage and thank you for your role in sharing our story. Some of you are supporters and others are those without whom I could do nothing.
Thanks also to Julia Longoria, who came to St. Louis to covered the program and went with me to Ft. Snelling. She and her team put this together and spent part of four days with me to get the broad picture. Until we do it again …
God bless you all!
Sincerely,
Lynne
Feature Image: Dred Scott Illustration | Mitch Boyer
ARTICLE FOR THE HISTORY MUSEUM/ST. LOUIS AMERICAN
August 10, 2017 Issue
By Lynne Madison Jackson
Over the last 10 years, the historical foundations and subsequent shaping of our country have been highlighted through a series of events starting in 2007 with the 150th Anniversary of the Dred Scott Decision of 1857.
Close on its heals were re-enactments of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates which coincided with one of the largest gatherings in downtown St Louis, the campaign visit of then future president, Barack Obama. The irony of electing the first Black president on the cusp of the 150th anniversary of that Supreme Court decision deemed the worst decision of all, did not go unnoticed. For many, there was hope in the air and yet even now, we do not have the harmony among the peoples most have longed for. Soon thereafter in 2011, was the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, next year will be the 14th Amendment’s big anniversary – the citizenship or Dred Scott Amendment. We are now looking at the 500th anniversary of the 95 theses posted by Martin Luther this October 2017, which brought clarity to many and still today, confusion among religious faiths looms large. How timely, to have occasions to look back and ask ourselves, where along the journey are we now, in “getting there?”
Three years ago, Ferguson, MO became a household word, not just nationally but globally. Once again, St. Louis will be remembered for a race issue which cannot be ignored but had to be dealt with. After the indignity of the 1857 decision, a civil war was imperative as was predicted by many noted statesmen. After August 9, 2014, with Dred Scott’s resting place only 3 miles from Ferguson, we were made painfully aware that humanity has still many lessons to learn.
On Saturday, August 12, the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation is presenting a current look at where some of us are three years after our cities were once again in the limelight. The Dred Scott 160th Anniversary Festival of Freedom will feature a day long fun, historic and educational opportunity for everyone, young and old. The Foundation has three pillars it promotes: Commemoration, Education and Reconciliation. In collaboration with the Missouri History Museum, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and sponsoring support of Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard, P.C., we will present an encore panel of five descendants of families whose ancestors greatly impacted the nation’s story around the Dred Scott Decision. From Thomas Jefferson to Jefferson Davis, stories will be shared on how these families are educating for the purpose of reconciliation. This encore panel will surprise and give hope to anyone who is wondering, “how can this work?”
Kate Taney Billingsley (yes, the same Taney) and the St. Louis Black Rep are presenting her powerful play on what a contemporary meeting of descendants of Dred Scott and Justice Taney might be like.
My presentation on the St. Louis fun facts surrounding history of Dred Scott will include information never before shared.
We will celebrate the fact that Dred and Harriet, although denied in the courts, DID receive their freedom from slavery after helping pave the way for the freedom of millions. With the help of the Blow family who was very instrumental in making that happen, learn more of this inspiring story.
Why do we remind ourselves of history? We have all heard the clichés and quotes, most notably, “ ……..we are doomed to repeat it…….” But do we even recognize when that is happening? Many wonderful organizations exist in this community to break the cycle of fear, hate, misunderstanding and disunity. As we continue to collaborate, it is our hope to show what happens when we take time out, stop, listen talk and share. I was told by two people, regarding the Taney and Davis families, “I don’t know if I want to meet “those” people.” Did you hear it? Upon sharing with them, a great light came on and a new working relationship was born. We remind ourselves of history so we can create a better future.
We invite you to come hear the contemporary stories of reconciliation and hard work to bring hope and unity to a divided land. Lincoln’s famous House Divided Speech came directly from the Bible in Mark 3:25 “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand….”. None of us is Lincoln, but let’s do our part to preserve the Union and heal the kingdom in such a time as this.
Additional Freedom Festival features and highlight links:
Open to the Public Lynne Jackson Great-Great Granddaughter and President and Founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation
Saturday, September 9
Trinity Episcopal Church
318 South Duchesne, St. Charles
10:30am until noon
Sponsored by: Julia Dent Grant Tent, Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War (DUVCW) 1861-1865
Hosted by: Trinity Episcopal Church
Call 636-946-2820 with any questions
By American staff
“Harriet and Dred Scott are true American heroes,” Dred Scott Heritage Foundation President and Founder Lynne M. Jackson, told The American just before the bronze statue bearing their likeness was unveiled downtown back in 2012.
Next Saturday (August 12), The Dred Scott Heritage Foundation and collaborative partners the Missouri History Museum and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will spend the entire day commemorating the 160thanniversary of the day when the Scotts received their freedom.
Though the activities will be held in August, the actual date their freedom was granted was May 26, 1857.
The article featured on Station WWFD.ORG reported/written by is the removal of the monument dedicated to former Chief Justice of the United States Roger Taney in Annapolis, Md..
Read the online post click here:
https://www.wfdd.org/story/maryland-state-house-removes-statue-judge-who-wrote-dred-scott-decision
The Foundation is requesting a commemorative stamp to recognize and remember the heritage of this amendment by issuing stamp with the likeness of the man, Dred Scott. We need the support of thousands of people who would like to see this happen.
To this achieve this goal, we are asking you to download, sign and share the one-page petition with others. If you are willing, fill a page (or several pages) with signatures and send to the address at the bottom of the page. You can make copies for anywhere you can get signatures. (Only one signature per person please!) Click the link to download the petition.
The Dred Scott slavery legal case resulted in much division and drama — including the Civil War — but a local foundation has been working for a decade to heal the animosities between the people affected by this and other historical divisions.The Dred Scott Heritage Foundation held its first Reconciliation Conference Dec. 3 at the Frontenac Hilton, bringing together descendants of Dred and Harriet Scott, their former owners, the Supreme Court Justice involved in the case and even descendants of President Thomas Jefferson and Jefferson Davis.
“For more than a decade we have had the concept to meet and find common ground with other descendants of history makers, especially those surrounding the Dred Scott Decision,” said Lynne Jackson, who founded the organization in 2007 with her husband, Brian. “We are grateful that descendants of some of the history makers and many others have come together as the Dred Scott Sons and Daughters of Reconciliation.”
Thomas Jefferson’s 9th generation grandson, Shannon Lanier, joined Lynne as they reviewed some of the 10 years of reconciliation activities. Among the guest at the 11th annual Cherry Blossom Festival was a living DAUGHTER Ira, Gray Jordan, of a Civil War Veteran. That’s right….. 91 years old, her father had her when he was 82 and she reminisced about her father’s days in the civil war before his death when she was almost 9 years old.
Subject reference sources:
https://shanephipps.com/2017/02/04/dealing-with-demons-at-monticello/
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