The names that usually stand synonymous with great Civil Rights leaders: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, or Congressman John Lewis.
One woman visiting Richmond for “Juneteenth” says her great-great grandfather is among the great Civil Rights leaders- Sam "Dred" Scott.
Lynne Jackson was in Richmond Wednesday night to talk about Scott and the 1857 U.S. Supreme court case that became known as the Dred Scott decision.
Scott unsuccessfully sued for his freedom and that of his family. The ruling sparked outrage in the years leading up to the Civil War. Jackson says her great-great grandfather's case lit the fire that led to the end of slavery.
"He was the first pioneer of the Civil Rights movement. The things they went through for 11 years that helped kick start the Civil War, that ended slavery, is critical. If they hadn't had the courage and tenacity to continue, who knows what kind of nation we would be today,” she said.
Jackson spoke at the 2013 Richmond Juneteenth celebration. Four weeks ago a historical marker was erected in south Hampton where Dred Scott was born.
