REMEMBERING DRED SCOTT, AN ALABAMA SLAVE HOMADE AMERICAN HISTORY

By Lee Roop

Oakwood University honors in February former slave Dred Scott, who lived on a plantation where they stand. These Oakwood students and employees play key roles in the celebration and a dramatization of Scott’s life and members of Scott’s family are believed buried in this vicinity where a memorial is today. From left are Mrs. Ivey Starks, presentation producer; Dr. Kayla Ward, communications lead; Mrs.Cheyney, historian; Professor Paul D. Nixon, director; Daniette Roseberry and Brian Dublin Jr., reenactors. Dublin portrays Scott in the presentations.

Black History Month peaks in Huntsville over the next several days with free performances on the life and legacy of Dred Scott, the former Madison County slave whose fight for freedom after leaving Alabama made American history.

Scott is known for suing to win his freedom after traveling into American states and territories where slavery was outlawed. He appealed a court ruling against him and eventually lost in a sweeping 1857 Supreme Court decision that outraged abolitionists and many white Americans and political leaders. Historians agree that the ruling further divided the nation over slavery, raised the temperature on the issue and moved America closer to the Civil War.

Scott had come to Madison County in 1821 and was in the county for about 10 years with his owner Peter Blow, according to Oakwood university historian Dr. Denise Shaver. There isn’t much data about his life here, and he eventually moved with the Blow family to Missouri and Minnesota. He was later sold to Taylor Blow, son of his original owner, who freed Scott and his family in 1857 after the Supreme Court refused to do so.

The plantation where Scott lived is on the west side of Huntsville where predominantly Black Oakwood University sits today. It is a short drive today to downtown Huntsville but it would have been miles from the young city sitting around the Big Spring. Oakwood is the current owner of most of the former plantation and Oakwood leads the city’s modern celebration of his life and legacy.

Local school children have honored Scott in a series of paintings and a separate coloring book called “The Road to Freedom” tells his story. Oakwood will also tell Scott’s story in a series of family friendly stage presentations. The first enactments are Feb. 23 for Huntsville and Madison County school children. Coordinating and managing the presentation items and their care and display is Dr. Kayla Ward.

Public productions Feb. 25th and Feb. 28 at Oakwood start at 7 p.m. in Moran Hall auditorium and are also free. Included is a play about Scott and interpretations of historic figures from his era. All productions are suitable for everyone in the family, a college spokeswoman said.