WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lynne Jackson, the great-great-granddaughter of Dred Scott, and Charlie Taney, the great-great-grandnephew of former Chief Justice Roger Taney, spoke at St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill on June 30, 2026. Their appearance coincided with a Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship issued on the final day of its term.

The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that almost all babies born on U.S. soil are citizens. Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion, writing: Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights—to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the 14th Amendment extended that promise to 'every free-born person in this land.' We keep that promise today. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote a separate opinion stating the 14th Amendment was meant as a reset for the nation, not a mere spot treatment for the dark stain of slavery.

Charlie Taney acknowledged his great-great-granduncle's role in the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford case. He actually participated in a lot of important law…and our family's proud of that, Taney said. But unfortunately he also authored what is commonly thought of as the single worst decision in the history of the Court. It's been called odious.

Taney had publicly apologized to Jackson nine years prior to the June 2026 event. Jackson runs a foundation in Missouri dedicated to honoring Dred Scott. Remember the R-word? Everybody thinks it's race or racism or something like that, and it's sincerely just the word 'relationship,' she said. You start to build a relationship.

Thomas expressed reservations about the decision. I am not sure that today's opinion will stand the test of time, he wrote. Taney warned against actions that could impact future generations regarding birthright citizenship. You know, I hope their grandchildren don't go through what I went through. [Having] to slide down on my seat when the Dred Scott case came up because my name was Taney. So the people that would like to be part of getting rid of your birthright citizenship, they might want to keep that in mind, what they'll do to their own family for the future.

In 2025, President Trump issued an executive order that attempted to limit birthright citizenship.