Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.--The major African American exhibition now being featured at Mississippi State should be regarded as "an invitation to engage in dialogue about our common history and our common American nationality."

Speaking Thursday [April 9], Stephen Middleton, director of the university's African American Studies program, made this and other observations while leading the first of MSU Libraries' three-part lecture series about The Kinsey Collection.

The collection is on display at Mitchell Memorial Library through June 20. For details, visit MSU's Kinsey Collection website.

With the topic "The Kinsey Collection Artifacts and Their Historical Content," the veteran historian took audience members on a cultural exploration of American society through the experiences of 19th century slave Dred Scott (1800-58) and his family.

"What his biography tells us is that he was a man who exemplified personal agency," Middleton said. "He was not simply drifting through life because he was enslaved; he was an individual who made choices during his life experience."

Middleton explained how Scott was born in Virginia on the farm of Peter Blow, a struggling planter. "Though difficult to document, history suggests Scott's birth name was Sam, as the custom was." While many identify him as Sam Blow "because he was the enslaved person of Peter Blow," Middleton said many others are aware that Sam Blow was not his name.

"History tells us that one of his brothers, Eldred, a popular 19th century name, died at an early age and Sam decided, that is by way of agency, he would honor his brother by taking a part of his name," Middleton said. "Thus, he adopted 'Dred' from 'Eldred.'"

Though uncertainty remains as to when he assumed the surname "Scott," Middleton said that decision makes another significant point. "It tells us about the relationship with a person or persons who owned him that they allowed him to have a full name and not just a first name. For Dred Scott, being able to assume this name was important because he was a very personable individual who was able to build relationships."

Middleton said the same goes for the woman who would eventually become Scott's wife. "While in Fort Snelling, Scott met a woman whom he married within a year, and her name was Harriet Robinson."

Though Harriet Robinson also was not free, Middleton said the fact that she too had a first and last name "tells us a great deal about her slave owner"; also, that she "saw herself not as someone without agency, but rather as someone with choices."

Among Middleton's other observations about the Scotts:

--Under the American-style chattel system, it was possible for a slave to be hired out by an owner who might either keep all that was earned or allow the worker to keep a portion. "Scott was able to save his money, and he wanted to exercise some choices about it," Middleton said.

--After being taken into areas deemed either free states and territories under the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and Missouri Compromise of 1820, the slave came to feel his owner might emancipate him prior to dying. The owner died suddenly without benefit of a completed will, however, and his widow inherited the Scotts and their children.

--When the widow refused to emancipate Scott and his family, he used his saved money to sue for their freedom.

--Litigation that began in 1846 continued for 11 years until the United States Supreme Court handed down its infamous Dred Scott Decision in 1857.

"The significance of the Dred Scott Case is in the 13th Amendment of 1865," Middleton said. "Had it not been for Dred Scott, there might not have been a Civil War, but it happened."

Middleton said the Civil Rights Act of 1866 actually "is more directly related to Dred Scott because it was the first time the U.S. Congress passed a citizenship law, which noted that persons born in the U.S. were citizens of the U.S. The 14th Amendment of 1868 also is significant to this case because it affirmed citizenship and gave all citizens certain rights, due process of law, equal protection of the law and privileges and immunities of the like."

The two remaining lectures also will take place in the library's third-floor John Grisham Room. They include:

--Thursday [April 23], 2 p.m., Shirley Hanshaw, associate professor of English and African American Studies faculty member, discussing "Myth of Absence: An Exhibition of African American Culture through Historical Documents, Photographs and Art in The Kinsey Collection."

--May 20, 4 p.m., Andrew Lark, artist and Starkville High School art teacher, discussing some of the collection artists and their works.

In addition to MSU Libraries and African American Studies, the collection is made possible by Visit Mississippi, Greater Starkville Development Partnership, Mississippi Humanities Council and National Endowment for the Humanities.

Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the exhibit do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the Mississippi Humanities Council.

MSU, the state's flagship research institution, is online at msstate.edu, meridian.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate, pinterest.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate, using hashtag #WeRingTrue.