In August on the 116th anniversary of the Springfield 1908 Race Riots in Illinois, President Biden utilized his authority under the Antiquities Act to establish the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument.

The new national monument, to be managed by the National Park Service, will help tell the stories of the 1908 race riots where white mobs killed Black Americans, burned Black homes and businesses, attacked hundreds of residents, and helped spur the founding of the NAACP.

The National Trust has long supported permanent preservation of this historic place by endorsing related congressional legislation and submitting comments to the National Park Service as part of their special resource study process.

We are thankful for the diverse coalition of civil rights leaders, preservationists, communities, and elected officials who strongly advocated for preservation of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site.