The historic Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis will reopen to the public on Saturday. Closed since 2020 for renovations, the Old Courthouse is best known as the site where Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom.
The case ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which concluded in the mid-1850s that people of African descent — whether they were free or enslaved — were not U.S. citizens and had no right to sue in federal court. The ruling helped push the country toward civil war.
Jeremy Sweat, superintendent of Gateway Arch National Park, said the historical interpretation of Dred and Harriet Scott’s case, and story, has changed in powerful and positive ways.
“We've always had a focus on the Dred and Harriet Scott trial, but our old exhibit focused much more on the court case,” Sweat said. “This time around, everyone wanted to see the exhibit focus more on them as people.”
That’s a welcome change for Lynne Jackson, the great-great-granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott.
“For them to have their own [permanent] gallery is just an incredible, huge honor and a great leap forward. There were days in my youth years [in the 1970s] that their picture wasn't even on the wall,” Jackson said. “Of course, they did the reenactments, but to get this gallery is amazing, and it will have a few aspects of their lives that people don't know about. So I'm thrilled about it.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is at 10 a.m. The Journey to Justice festival will begin at 11 a.m. in Kiener Plaza and will feature live music and conversations with people including artist Cbabi Bayoc, who designed the visual theme of the festival, and award-winning actress and St. Louis native Jenifer Lewis.
Schedule of events:
- 11 a.m. – Welcome remarks by Chelsea Haynes
- 11:05 a.m. – Remarks by Ryan McClure, executive director of Gateway Arch Park Foundation
- 11:10 a.m. – Live music by DJ Nico Marie
- 11:45 a.m. – "Fountain-side" chat with Lynne Jackson, great-great-granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott
- 12:15 p.m. – Live music by DJ Nico Marie
- 12:30 p.m. – Fountain-side chat with Cbabi Bayoc, internationally recognized visual artist
- 12:50 p.m. – Musical performance by renowned soul artist Brian Owens
- 1:30 p.m. – Fountain-side chat with Jenifer Lewis, award-winning actress and St. Louis native
- 2:30 p.m. – Live music by DJ Nico Marie
To hear more about the grand reopening celebration of the Old Courthouse, including comments from Ryan McClure, executive director of the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
