Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
SPRINGFIELD, IL -- Springfield NAACP, Springfield ACLU, and other partners are urging members to attend a meeting on Monday, June 10, hosted by the U.S. Department of the Interior to discuss the community's vision for commemorating the Springfield Race Riot of 1908. The meeting is a follow up to a special resource study conducted by the National Park Service concluding that the archeological site near Madison Street and 10th Street is eligible for inclusion in the National Park System.
BACKGROUND: In August 1908, a White mob attacked and lynched Black residents of Springfield, Illinois, and burned their homes within blocks of the former home of Abraham Lincoln. As one of the country’s worst examples of mass racial violence, the Springfield Race Riot generated outrage leading to, with the help of Ida B. Wells-Barnett, the founding of the NAACP in 1909. A 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument would be the first national park to tell the story of Ida B. Wells and the first national monument that would highlight the tragic events of race riots.
What: Community meeting on the commemoration of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot
When: Monday, June 10 at 6:00 PM CT
Where: Union Baptist Church, 1405 E Monroe St., Springfield IL
Who:
- Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Brenda Mallory
- Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz
About the Sierra Club
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