The Dred Scott 10th Anniversary Reconciliation Conference


Date:             October 14, 2016



NEWS RELEASE

The Dred Scott 10th Anniversary Reconciliation Conference

On December 3, 2016, the 10th Anniversary of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation will be celebrated with a major Dred Scott Reconciliation Conference.  It will be held, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Hilton Frontenac, 1335 S. Lindbergh in St. Louis, Missouri. The conference will featured descendants of five of the most prominent men whose actions affected or were affected by the famous 1857 Supreme Court Decision.

Descendants attending the daylong conference will be: Shannon Lanier (Thomas Jefferson and Sallie Hemming); John LeBourgeois (Peter Blow, Dred Scott’s original owner); Lynne M. Jackson (Dred Scott); Charlie Taney (Chief Justice Roger B. Taney); and Bertram Hayes Davis (Jefferson Davis).  Along with the descendants, other participants include the Rev. Nicholas Inman, who has chaired the event that hosted the Dred Scott Reconciliation Forum in Marshfield, MO for the last six years; Pastor Sylvester Turner (Pastor “T”) of Richmond, Virginia,who will share about international reconciliation conferences and the work being done at the Richmond slave trial; and Jonathan Thomas (JT), who inspired the community in Ferguson, MO during the summer of 2014.

The Foundation’s anniversary is on the eve of the 160th Anniversary in March, 2017.  It will culminate with the realization  of a decade-old idea of Brian and Lynne Jackson. Lynne Jackson stated, “For more than a decade, we have had the concept through the work of the Foundation to meet and find common ground with other descendants of history makers, especially those surrounding the Dred Scott Decision. 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 (SADOR).” Jackson concluded by saying, “Since March 6, 2007, over 30 individuals have interacted with or participated in various Dred Scott programs.  Many descendants who have agreed to collaborate as Dred Scott SADOR have already participated together in programs (some hosted by DSHF and some by other organizations. Family members of Martin Luther King, Jr., Booker T Washington, Harriet Tubman, John Brown, Chief Justice John Jay, Solomon Northrup, Moses Grandy, William Grimes and many others have shared their stories together over the past several years.

This event also marks the official kick off of future programs as the DSHF continues to bring these histories to life as we permeate through today’s cultural waters with resolutions in mind.

At the conference, through shared stories, the relatives will show how their lives have intersected in the 21st century; and how they are doing exactly what the Foundation set out to do in 2007, “Let the Healing Begin”.

Along with historical perspectives on the ancestors, each individual will share a unique story that is not widely known.  The audience will have an opportunity to interact with the panel.

The cost of the conference is $75.00 and includes lunch.  The public is invited.

Registrations can be made via the website at www.thedredscottfoundation.org or payments may be sent to The Dred Scott Foundation, P. O. Box 2000, Florissant, MO 63032-2009.  Please send name and phone number along with mailed registrations.

For more information, contact Stephanie A. Miles,  618-741-3770: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 314-532-5613.

The Dred Scott Heritage Foundation is a 501(C)3 organization and donations are tax deductible.