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Frederick Residents Get a Lesson on Chief Justice Roger Taney

government photograph

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) - Some history scholars are offering Frederick residents a variety of perspectives on the Supreme Court chief justice who wrote the 1857 Dred Scott decision affirming slavery.

The Historical Society of Frederick County is sponsoring the symposium Friday on "The Many Layers of Roger Brooke Taney (TAW'-nee)."

The event coincides with a dispute over a bust of Taney that stands outside City Hall.

Alderwoman Donna Kuzemchak is leading an effort to have the statue moved to another location, such as a museum, because she and others consider it offensive. Opponents say removing the sculpture would erase part of Frederick's history. Taney practiced law in the city.

The Board of Aldermen was scheduled to vote on the matter this week, but Kuzemchak postponed the vote until after the symposium.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.