Please join us at the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum’s Grand Opening of the 1908 Race Riot Exhibit.

On the evening of August 14th, 1908, a race war broke out in Springfield, Illinois. Although six people were killed, thousands were terrorized, and hundreds of African Americans left Springfield, the event was almost lost to history. After the flurry of (biased) news coverage directly following the event, there was little said or written about it for nearly 80 years. Springfield has seemed reluctant to come to terms with its past. Slowly, efforts led by residents to hold the city accountable for the events of the riots have led to some successes, although many of its citizens remain oblivious to this facet of Springfield’s past. The riots led directly to the formation of the NAACP, and should be studied so that we can understand the mistakes of the past and look forward to a more peaceful future.

Panels are provided by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum.
Questions/RSVP: (217) 391-6323