HR0134 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0134 LRB102 17169 ECR 22614 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The 1908 Springfield Race Riot (the Riot) started on August 14 when a white mob attempted to lynch two Black inmates in the Sangamon County Jail; the mob discovered the two inmates had been transferred out of Springfield and went on a rampage that ended in the death of at least sixteen people and the destruction of many Black homes and businesses; the riots ended after two days when the state militia quelled the violence; and

WHEREAS, Black residents, who fought in self-defense to protect their property and themselves, were brutally attacked; during and immediately following the Riot, nearly 2,000 Black residents fled the City, and most did not return; and

WHEREAS, Personal and property damages from the riots, suffered overwhelmingly by Black citizens, amounted to more than $4 million in a current valuation; and

WHEREAS, In February of 1909, civil rights leaders formed the National Negro Committee in New York City, New York in response to the Riot; this Committee would later become the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); and

WHEREAS, In 2008, the City of Springfield erected historical markers across the City and a memorial statue to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the Riot; and

WHEREAS, During an excavation as part of the Springfield High-Speed Rail project, foundations and artifacts from homes destroyed during the 1908 Springfield Race Riot were uncovered; in 2018, an agreement with community members was reached to excavate the remains and designate the uncovered site a memorial; and

WHEREAS, In 2019, the National Park Service conducted a reconnaissance survey that concluded that the archeological site in Springfield, Illinois associated with the 1908 Race Riot likely meets the criteria established by Congress for inclusion in the National Parks System; and

WHEREAS, In 2019, Illinois Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin introduced the Springfield Race Riot Monument Act to establish the Springfield Race Riot National Historic Monument and to help increase the number of National Parks devoted to recognizing the histories of diverse peoples and cultures; and

WHEREAS, In August of 2020, The U.S. Department of the Interior recognized the national and historic significance of the Riot when it designated the 1908 Springfield Race Riot Site as the 30th addition to the African American Civil Rights Network; and

WHEREAS, The NAACP was instrumental in pushing our Nation forward by helping establish justice and working to secure liberty for Black Americans; it is time for the United States Government to formally honor and commemorate the NAACP's founding and national legacy of service; and

WHEREAS, Establishing the 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument would represent long overdue progress in making sure the National Parks System properly memorializes the historic events of the African-American civil rights movement; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge President Joe Biden and other federal leaders to designate the 1908 Race Riot Sites in Springfield, Illinois as a national monument to be managed by the National Park Service; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to President Joe Biden and the entire Illinois Congressional Delegation.