RootsTech 2024 by FamilySearch, the premier global family celebration and genealogy event, is happy to announce the first of its keynote speakers for the 3-day experience, February 29 to March 2, 2024, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and online. Lynne M. Jackson, author, and president and founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation, will take the main stage on Friday, March 1, 2024. Ms. Jackson is the great-great-granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott, an enslaved couple well known for taking their case for freedom to the U.S. Supreme Court. The theme for RootsTech 2024 is "Remember", a fitting framework for Ms. Jackson's keynote address. She created the foundation to “promote the commemoration, education and reconciliation of our histories... and ensure that we never forget the struggle for freedom, citizenship and equality, with an eye towards helping to heal the wounds of the past.”
Ms. Jackson has spent her life telling the story of her ancestors and advocating for civil rights. It's a story of courage, fear, and faith to claim one's right to freedom, by the law of the land, and by the conviction that all human beings are entitled to stand up for their freedom.
In the Dred Scott v. Sanford case of 1857, the Supreme Court denied Dred and Harriet's petition for freedom, ruling that enslaved people were not citizens of the country and could not expect protection under the law. The decision is considered one of the catalysts for starting the U.S. Civil War, a pivotal conflict that resulted in the abolition of slavery across the nation. Dred and Harriet Scott were eventually granted the precious freedom they were once denied.
Register Now for RootsTech 2024
Experience the energy of exploring and sharing your story at RootsTech 2024 from February 29 to March 2, 2024. Learn more and register at RootsTech.org. The online event is free, and early bird pricing for the in-person three-day event is only $99.
RootsTech 2024 will offer hundreds of sessions, exhibitors, and experiences to help attendees discover, remember, and share their stories.
“However big you think it is, it's bigger. However exciting you think it is, it's more exciting. However joy-filled it is and rewarding it is, it's more than that.”
What Is RootsTech?
RootsTech is a place to learn, be inspired, and make connections through family history. Hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by other leading genealogy organizations, we have hundreds of expert classes, tips and tricks videos, and inspiring stories that can help you experience family history like never before. Visit our on-demand learning library or make plans to join us for our next virtual or in-person conference event.