ST. LOUIS – FOX 2 continues its honoring of the Black History Series, reflecting on the stories of those who shaped the nation’s history.

Lynne Jackson, the great-great-granddaughter of Dred Scott, is working to keep his legacy alive. Jackson is also the founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation.    

A 9-foot-tall monument stands in Calvary Cemetery. Jackson said her ancestors, Dred Scott and Harriet Scott, and their legal battle for freedom helped change the course of American history.  

“To be a great, great granddaughter to Scott, it gives me an obligation and a responsibility, perhaps, to share how important he was and what his case meant to this country,” Jackson said.

In 1846, Dred and Harriet Scott filed freedom suits in the Old St. Louis Courthouse, fighting to break the chains of slavery. 

But after an 11-year legal battle, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1857 that enslaved Black people were not U.S. citizens and had no rights to sue.

“When people hear the whole story that I do (and) when I travel around the country, they really get the nuances of the case—not just the headlines and the bylines,” Jackson said. 

Dred Scott’s statue, which stands in front of the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis, symbolizes a major turning point in the fight against slavery. 

Jackson said it’s important to share stories so that future generations understand the sacrifices made for freedom and justice  

From speaking at national events to unveiling memorials, Jackson continues to ensure that Dred Scott’s legacy is remembered—not just in February but all year long.

“I shared this sometimes when I do my talks, that when they signed their petitions to sue, they didn’t put the names there. They put a cross there. And that cross was their indicator of faith that they would one day be free,” Jackson said.

Her ancestor’s story is not just about the past; its a lesson for the present and the future.