October 09, 2024

Duckworth, Leaders Commemorate 1908 Race Riot National Monument Designation

 

[SPRINGFIELD, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined local and federal leaders in commemorating the designation of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site as a national monument. Duckworth has worked for years to secure national monument recognition for the site, which the Biden-Harris Administration designated in August. The 1908 Springfield Race Riot was a pivotal event in American history that spurred the creation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). With less than a quarter of National Parks devoted to recognizing the histories of diverse peoples and cultures, designating this site as a national monument also helps guarantee that public lands reflect the diversity of our country. Photos from today’s event are available on the Senator’s website.

“The 1908 Race Riots and the history that happened here deserve to be commemorated,” said Duckworth. “And now, I’m proud it will be, thanks to President Biden’s action to designate this site as a national monument—an action which not only makes sure the painful lessons learned here will not be lost for generations to come, but also helps ensure our national parks better reflect our nation’s people and stories.”

Duckworth was joined today by local and national leaders including U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory, U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton and more.

116 years ago, a violent mob of white residents murdered at least six Black Americans, burned down Black homes and businesses and attacked hundreds of residents for no other reason than the color of their skin. Duckworth began calling for national monument recognition in 2018, first leading the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument Act, with U.S Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), in 2019 and again in 2021. Last year they re-introduced the legislation, which was reported favorably out of committee, with U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) introducing companion legislation in the House.

During an excavation as part of the Springfield High Speed Rail project, foundations and artifacts from homes destroyed during the riot were uncovered. An agreement with community members was reached in 2018 to excavate the remains and designate the uncovered site a memorial.

Duckworth has made elevating disenfranchised communities and their stories one of her main priorities while in Congress. Last year, after continued efforts from Duckworth, the Biden-Harris Administration designated the church that held Emmett Till’s pivotal open-casket wake in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood as a national monument. Duckworth’s leadership was critical in the site designation, originally introducing the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley, and Roberts Temple National Historic Site Act in 2021 and again in 2023.

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