Dred and Harriet Scott statue dedication in St. Louis

Dred Scott Madison, great-great grandson and Lynne Jackson the great-great grandaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott, pull the cover off of a statue of their relatives during a dedication ceremony at the Old Courthouse in St. Louis on June 8, 2012. Dred Scott Decision in 1857, was a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that people of African descent brought into the United States and held as slaves (or their descendants, whether or not they were slaves) were not protected by the Constitution and were not U.S. citizens. The case was argued at the Old Courthouse. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Dred and Harriet Scott statue dedication in St. Louis

Onlookers move in for a closer look at the newly dedicated Dred and Harriet Scott statue, at the Old Courthouse in St. Louis on June 8, 2012. The Dred Scott Decision in 1857, was a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that people of African descent brought into the United States and held as slaves (or their descendants, whether or not they were slaves) were not protected by the Constitution and were not U.S. citizens. The case was argued at the Old Courthouse. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Dred and Harriet Scott statue dedication in St. Louis

Lynne Jackson the great-great grandaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott, receives a hug from sculptor Harry Weber during a dedication ceremony of a statue of her relatives at the Old Courthouse in St. Louis on June 8, 2012. The Dred Scott Decision in 1857, was a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that people of African descent brought into the United States and held as slaves (or their descendants, whether or not they were slaves) were not protected by the Constitution and were not U.S. citizens. The case was argued at the Old Courthouse. UPI/Bill Greenblatt