Library Commemorates Dred Scott Anniversary

St. Louis, MO . . . The St. Louis Public Library is proud to join the Friends for the 150th Anniversary of the Dred Scott Decision in commemorating the sesquicentennial of the landmark Dred Scott Decision. The event, the theme of which is “Let the Healing Begin,” takes place at Central Library, 1301 Olive Street, on Tuesday, March 6 at 10 a.m. The program is FREE and open to the public.

The ceremony will include remarks and Proclamation presentations by both St. Louis City and St. Louis County officials. There will also be the unveiling of a new commemorative Dred Scott postal cachet by the St. Louis Postmaster. Following the ceremony, members of the St. Louis Black Rep will perform No Land’s Man. This special re-enactment highlights the moment in history when Dred and Harriet Scott ponder their legal struggles to become “free” citizens in Missouri.

March 6, 2007, marks the 150th anniversary of the historic Dred Scott Supreme Court Decision. The case was heard in the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis (now part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial). In it, a slave named Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet, walked up the steps and made history by trying to convince the United States government that they were, indeed, free people of color. However, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney read the Court’s decision, which declared, “Because Scott was black, he was not a citizen and therefore had no right to sue.”

The Friends for the 150th Anniversary of the Dred Scott Decision is made up of more than forty organizations (including the St. Louis Public Library) from both the metropolitan St. Louis area and throughout the United States joined together in recognition of this historic anniversary. Said Lynne M. Jackson, Friends co-chair and great-great-granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott, “It is an honor and privilege to remember my ancestors and represent my family on this most important occasion.”

For details, call 314-539-0315 or visit www.thedredscottfoundation.org.

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2/21/2007