Deb Haaland Secretary at U.S. Department of Interior | Official website
President Joe Biden has established the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument as the newest addition to America's national park system. This marks the eighth national park site added during the Biden-Harris administration. The monument aims to preserve historic objects associated with a racially motivated riot in Springfield, Illinois, in 1908, which contributed to significant civil rights advancements, including the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
The Presidential Proclamation signed today recounts several days of violence from August 14-16, 1908, when a white mob attacked Springfield's Black community. The rioters lynched two Black men, looted businesses, and burned homes. This event highlighted the widespread racism and violence faced by Black Americans in that era. In response to this devastation, civic leaders such as Ida B. Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Mary Church Terrell initiated efforts that led to the founding of the NAACP.
"Establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument is an important step in recognizing and remembering this painful but important moment in America’s history,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland at a signing ceremony with President Biden. “The Springfield 1908 Race Riot was a horrific and significant part of our nation’s march toward equality and civil rights."
National Park Service Director Chuck Sams emphasized that the monument would offer future generations an opportunity to reflect on these tragic events while drawing inspiration from those who fought for social change and civil rights. "I want to thank the City of Springfield, Hospital Sisters Health System, and the National Park Foundation for their role in making this possible," he stated.
The national monument is located where the violent assault began—in Springfield's Badlands neighborhood—and includes foundations of five houses destroyed during the riot. The National Park Service (NPS) will collaborate with local communities and partners on plans for interpretation, commemoration, historic preservation, and visitor experiences over time.
Spanning 1.57 acres of federal land donated by St. John's Hospital and supported by various entities including local government bodies and organizations like the National Park Foundation, additional lands related to the riot may be included later.
Currently situated near Madison Street and the 10th Street Rail Corridor within an active railroad construction zone not accessible to public visitation yet, NPS will work on interim measures for sharing site history while ensuring safety.
In addition to managing this new monument site in Springfield—where Lincoln lived before his presidency—the NPS oversees other notable sites such as Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
A reconnaissance survey conducted by NPS in 2018 followed by a special resource study completed last year confirmed that these sites met criteria for inclusion into America's broader national park system comprising now 431 units under its fold.
Community support echoed strongly during recent meetings attended by Interior Department officials advocating designation towards preserving historical narratives integral towards understanding societal progressions tied closely around civil rights movements across different epochs spanning American history.
Further information about visiting or learning more regarding this newly designated national monument can be accessed via nps.gov/SPRA website portal dedicated specifically towards detailing comprehensive insights surrounding ongoing developments tied directly back onto commemorating legacies left behind post-Springfield riots back from early twentieth century timescapes still resonating deeply amidst contemporary dialogues focused around equity-driven aspirations shaping tomorrow's horizons collectively envisioned together ahead forwardly onwards hereafter perpetually enduring timelessly evermore beyond mere temporal confines inherently limiting otherwise transformative potentials lying latent therein awaiting actualizations ultimately realized eventually someday soon enough hopefully indeed ideally so undoubtedly assuredly affirmatively thus forthwith conclusively finalizing altogether then hereby finally ending up wrapping things neatly altogether conclusively rightfully properly 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