Springfield Race Riot

Jars with the soil will honor two men killed in racial violence in Springfield more than a century ago.

The exhibit will examine the causes, impact and lasting legacy of the August 1908 Springfield race riot while highlighting the experiences of Springfield’s Black community and the event’s importance in the broader history of civil rights and anti-lynching activism.

“3 Hot Days in August” will honor the legacy of the pivotal event that helped lead to the founding of the NAACP. Presentations, walking tours, a film screening, and community ceremonies will allow those attending to reflect, reclaim, and remember history.

The location will be under National Park Service management.

President Biden is expected to take action making the designation.

This week marks another anniversary of the 1908 riot.

The meeting is Monday evening and open to the public.

A study examined the remains of the homes burned during the 1908 Springfield Race Riot and other sites and buildings around Springfield that played an important role in the riot and its aftermath.

During the Race Riot, a mob of white residents murdered at least six Black Americans, burned Black homes and businesses and attacked hundreds of residents for no other reason than the color of their skin. In the aftermath of the riot, the NAACP was formed.

The site of a deadly race riot in Springfield has been added to the national African American Civil Rights Network. Only 30 locations have received…