Sangamon Experience

January 3, 2025, marks the official 50th anniversary of NPR Illinois! To celebrate, NPR Illinois will be getting a traveling exhibit made by the Sangamon Experience to highlight the history of the station called "Radio that Listens to You." Evie Rodenbaugh, Graduate Assistant for the Sangamon Experience, spoke to Community Voices about organizing the research for the exhibit, interesting people and former programming that have impacted the station, and how "Radio that Listens to You" relates to the core of NPR Illinois and public radio. The Sangamon Experience wants to hear your stories and memories about NPR Illinois whether you are a former employee, current listener, or donor. To connect with them, please email sangamonexperience@uis.edu or call 217-206-8051. More details about the opening date and location of the exhibit will be announced soon.

"Echoes of Change: Central Illinois Journalism and Social Justice in the 1980s" was a forum hosted by the Sangamon Experience at the University of Illinois Springfield and co-sponsored by NPR Illinois. The conversation explored the impact of local journalism during a transformative era. Mary Bohlen, journalist and UIS associate professor emerita of communication, moderated the conversation. Panelists included Fletcher Farrar, editor of the Illinois Times; Ann Anderson Mustard, former WCIA-TV reporter who covered the Illinois State Capitol; Larry Golden, professor emeritus of political studies and legal studies and founding director of the Illinois Innocence Project at UIS; and Frank McNeil, former Springfield alderman and plaintiff in the 1987 lawsuit that changed the city’s commission form of government.

Anne Moseley is the director of engagement and curator of the Sangamon Experience and acting director for the Center for Lincoln Studies. She spoke to Community Voices about her love of history and shared her favorite local Illinois stories. She also gave details on upcoming presentations to celebrate Black History Month, including the presentation "Memories of State Government," on Feb. 15 and "Untold African American Stories," on Feb. 21. More information can be found at the Sangamon Experience Facebook page.