On the 116th anniversary of the Springfield Race Riot, President Joe Biden signed a proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Springfield, Illinois.
By Stacy M. Brown, The AFRO
Photo, Homes at 12th Street and Mason Street burned during the 1908 Springfield Race Riot. Photo, Cities And Towns Collection, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library And Museum.
The new monument will preserve 1.57 acres of federal land and highlight a significant but painful moment in American history, when a White mob attacked the Black community in Springfield, leading to the lynching of two Black men and widespread destruction of homes and businesses.
“Our history is not just about the past; it’s about our present and our future,” Biden said during the announcement. “The Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument will help us remember an unspeakable attack on the Black community and honor the Americans who came together in its aftermath to help deliver on the promise of civil rights.”
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