This week on Spotlight, discover the landmark legal battles and trailblazers who transformed civil rights in America. From Dred Scott v. Sandford to Shelley v. Kraemer, these pivotal cases reshaped the nation’s laws and civil liberties, with roots in St. Louis. The episode also spotlights groundbreaking leaders like Nathan B. Young, one of the first African American municipal judges in Missouri; Margaret Bush Wilson, a barrier-breaking attorney and activist; and Frankie Muse Freeman, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Together, their stories reveal how courage in the courtroom helped shape justice across the United States.

Shelley v Kraemer
Shelley v Kraemer is a landmark civil rights case. Public Historian, Cicely Hunter, explains the details of the case and its connection to St. Louis.

Judge Nathan B. Young
Judge Nathan B. Young, a prominent judge in St. Louis, was named the first African American municipal judge for City Court #2 in St. Louis in 1965.

The Dred Scott Case
The infamous Dred Scott case started in the St. Louis Circuit Court in 1846. Cicely Hunter, tells us how this case came to be and what resulted from it.

Margaret Bush Wilson
Lawyer and activist, Margaret Bush Wilson broke many barriers as an African-American woman throughout life. Cicely Hunter shares her career highlights.

In Her Own Words: Civil Rights Activist Frankie Freeman
Frankie Muse Freeman spent her life fighting discrimination and helped to establish many civil rights policies.