As a child I was always fascinated by Black History Month. Its lessons taught me that the accomplishments of Black people were vast and wondrous, and that I, as a descendant of those people, could accomplish anything I set out to do. One story in particular still amazes me. It is the story of Dred Scott, an enslaved man who was taken from a slave state to a free territory by those who enslaved him. Scott eventually sued to gain freedom for himself and his family. During a prolonged court battle, Scott was assisted by abolitionists and others. While the law seemed to favor Scott’s argument that…
