Descendants of Dred Scott, Chief Justice Taney Discuss 1857 Ruling

Why it matters locally: The enduring legacy of the Dred Scott decision continues to shape legal and social discourse around race and citizenship, issues that have historically had profound and ongoing impacts within Georgia's communities and legal system.

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Washington D.C. — Family members of Dred Scott and Chief Justice Roger Taney gathered last week to discuss the 1857 Supreme Court decision in *Dred Scott v. Sandford*. The event occurred at St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill, near the Supreme Court building. The 1857 ruling by the Supreme Court denied U.S. citizenship to Black people, both enslaved and free. The decision also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, which had restricted the expansion of slavery into new territories. Charlie Taney, the great-great-grandnephew of Chief Justice Roger Taney, and Lynne Jackson, the great-great-granddaughter of Dred Scott, participated in the discussion. The event focused on the historical impacts of the ruling and its contemporary relevance. Their meeting occurred as the current Supreme Court issued rulings related to race and citizenship.