Foundation has raised less that $20K of $85K goal
The Dred Scott Heritage Foundation now has a rendering of the new memorial to Dred Scott that the foundation is raising funds to erect in Calvary Cemetery, where he is buried. At press time, the foundation has raised less than $20,000 of its $85,000 goal.
“It’s wonderful to have a memorial at all, but I think we can do better.” – Lynne M. Jackson, Dred Scott Heritage Foundation
Along with a nine-foot black granite piece, the planned site will include column ornamentation, lots of space for etching and detailing history, and a patio with benches where “people can literally come and sit for a moment and meditate and understand who this man was,” Lynne M. Jackson, president and founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation, told St. Louis Public Radio,
Currently, his grave is marked with a small headstone that was added in 1958. In 1867, his remains were moved to an unmarked grave in the cemetery. Initially he was buried in an unmarked grave near St. Louis University.
“It’s wonderful to have a memorial at all, but I think we can do better,” said Jackson, who is the great-great-granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott. She envisions “a place worthy of pilgrimage for students and lovers of American history,” as she wrote on the GoFundMe page.
The Scotts were enslaved African Americans who unsuccessfully sued for their freedom in a case that the U.S. Supreme Court decided in 1857, helping to trigger the Civil War.
To donate, visit https://tinyurl.com/donate-Dred. Those who prefer not to donate online may send donations earmarked for the memorial to Dred Scott Heritage Foundation, P.O. Box 2009 Florissant, MO 63032-2009.
