Budzinski Continues Call on President Biden to Make Springfield Race Riot Site a National Monument

“The 1908 Springfield Race Riot is an example of our nation’s deep history of racial violence – it’s also the story of strength and resilience that led to the creation of the NAACP and the fight for civil rights,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “Since coming to Congress, I’ve been pushing for our history to be appropriately recognized by introducing bipartisan legislation to designate the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot as a national monument, and by leading the Illinois congressional delegation in a request for President Biden to memorialize the site by invoking the Antiquities Act. Today, I was glad to continue calling on the White House to take action and honor Springfield’s important role in the Civil Rights Movement.”

The 1908 Springfield Race Riot shaped not only Springfield, but this nation as a whole. Black homes and businesses were destroyed, white and Black residents lost their lives, and over $5,000,000 in property was damaged as a result of the riots.

This event was the impetus for the creation of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), an organization that was integral in the civil rights movement and today helps to dismantle the racist systems that still impact Black Americans and people from other marginalized backgrounds.

We have to protect our civil rights history so that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. Will you sign on and support Nikki as she works to make this site a national monument?

Thanks for your support on this critical issue,

— Nikki HQ