President Biden Designates Site of 1908 Race Riot as National Monument
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden signed a proclamation last week to designate the site of the 1908 race riot in Springfield, IL as a national monument. Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch attended the ceremony in the Oval Office, along with state Sen. Doris Turner, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, and more.
“That race riot led to the creation of the NAACP, which led to Thurgood Marshall, which led to Brown versus Board of Education, and so many big victories in this country when it comes to race relations,” said Speaker Welch. “You have to say that it was this that led to the creation of opportunities for people like me to become the first Black speaker.”
Biden signed the proclamation during 116th anniversary of the Springfield Race Riot, which occurred Aug. 14-16, 1908. The new national monument will tell the story of the horrific attack by a white mob on a Black community that was representative of the racism, intimidation, and violence that Black Americans experienced across the country. Just blocks away from President Abraham Lincoln’s home, the attack led to national outrage and spurred action on civil rights, including the creation of the organization known as the NAACP.
“We're allowing history to be written – what happened – so our children, our grandchildren, everybody understands what happened and what could still happen,” President Biden said at an Oval Office ceremony.
By establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, President Biden is recognizing the significance of these events and the broader history of Black community resilience in the face of violent oppression. At a time when some are working to rewrite history and erase painful moments in our past, President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to protecting places that help tell a more complete story of our nation’s history, including by recognizing difficult moments that have been ignored or obscured for far too long.
The monument will be located between N. 9th and 11th streets, and between E. Mason and E. Madison streets.
More on the designation and Speaker Welch’s trip can be found here, here, and here.
