Members of the Biden Administration were in Springfield last night to discuss the future of Springfield’s 1908 Race Riot site.
Members of the U.S. Department of the Interior held a community meeting at Union Baptist Church in Springfield last night allowing members of the administration to hear directly about the community’s vision to commemorate the Springfield Race Riot of 1908 and the role it played in the formation of the NAACP. The National Park Service has completed a special resource study supporting the site’s eligibility for inclusion in the National Park System. The meeting was attended by the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Brenda Mallory, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Shannon Estenoz; and Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski.
Budzinski is leading bipartisan legislation with 16th District Congressman Darin LaHood that would make the site of 1908 Springfield Race Riot a national monument – providing long overdue recognition for our local history and its impact on our nation. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are leading companion legislation in the U.S. Senate. In December of 2023, Budzinski sent a letter to President Biden asking him to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate the site as a national monument.