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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Two Illinois representatives are joining the effort working to designate the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot a National Monument.
Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) introduced legislation Thursday to make the site a monument. They argue the site needs recognition for its impact on American history, as it was the catalyst for the start of the NAACP.
“More than a century ago, Springfield Illinois’ Black community came under attack by a violent mob, resulting in the loss of lives and livelihoods,” Budzinski said in a speech on the House floor. “While the 1908 Springfield Race Riot demonstrates our nation’s deep history of racial violence, it also gave rise to the NAACP – an organization that would lead the charge in securing civil rights for millions of Black Americans in the decades to come.”
Adding it to the list of national monuments would help preserve the site, they argued. Community members agreed to excavate the remains and make the uncovered site a memorial in 2018.
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“In Congress, I have been proud to work in a bipartisan manner to preserve this historical site, including getting it added to the American Civil Rights Network in 2020,” LaHood said. “Designating the site as a monument under the National Park Service will support the preservation and recognition of the race riot.”
Illinois’ senators, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) are also working in the Senate on similar legislation.
According to the National Parks Service, there are nearly 300 national monuments across the nation. The only other one in Illinois is the Pullman National Historic Park in Chicago.
