As a current board member of the St. Louis Bar Foundation, it is my privilege to share with you that Lynne M. Jackson, the great-great granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott will receive the prestigious Spirit of Justice Award at the St. Louis Bar Foundation’s Gala, on February 17, 2024! This award is reserved for those who have gone above and beyond in their service to the legal profession or to our metropolitan community without concern for recognition or reward. It has been bestowed on wide range of recipients, including everyday people serving others, retired Missouri Supreme Court Judges who have made special efforts to help the public, small, not-for-profit organizations providing much needed community support, as well as large corporations whose efforts for the common good deserved recognition.
It is simply not possible to describe here even a fraction of Ms. Jackson’s work in this area for over more than two decades. Lynne has not only been tirelessly honoring the courage of her great-great-grandparents Dred and Harriet Scott, but she also has been going much further to promote peace and reconciliation on a national level. Just one example is the March 2017 meeting she took part in with Charles Taney, III, whose great uncle, Justice Roger Taney, authored the infamous 1857 opinion wherein the United States Supreme Court declared that Dred Scott and all Blacks in America had no rights as people and that slavery was legal. In front of the Maryland State House, and on behalf of his family, Charles Taney apologized to the Scott family and to all African-Americans, for the “terrible injustice of the Dred Scott decision”. Lynne Jackson responded with true grace by embracing Charles Taney and accepting the apology for her family “and for all African-Americans who have the love of God in their heart, so that healing can begin.”
One of Ms. Jackson’s more recent efforts is her content partnering with the National Park Service for its renovation of the Old Courthouse where the Northeast Gallery will be devoted to exhibits on Dred and Harriet Scott and the importance of freedom suits to American history. Currently under major renovation, the Old Courthouse is expected to be completed and open to visitors in mid-2025. Lynne Jackson is also the Founder and President of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation: www.dredscottlives.org. Among Lynne’s many other board activities, she is also on the board of directors for the Freedom Suits Memorial Foundation.
In 1956, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) created the nonprofit St. Louis Bar Foundation as its charitable arm. Its motto is “Promoting the Rule of Law–Advancing the Spirit of Justice”, which captures its dual mission of serving not only the legal profession, but also the community at large. This can be seen in Bar Foundation programs such as the High School Mock Trial Competition, which helps teach critical thinking skills to our youth, as well as the heartwarming Motion for Kids event, which reaches out each December to thousands of children with holiday gifts they likely would not otherwise receive. www.stlouisbarfoundation.org
Paul N. Venker
President
Freedom Suits Memorial Foundation
FREEDOM SUITS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION 