# Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument Act

This bill creates a new national monument in Springfield, Illinois to commemorate the race riot that occurred there in 1908. The government would officially designate a specific area as a protected historic site dedicated to remembering this violent event and its significance in American history.

The 1908 Springfield race riot was a major outbreak of racial violence where white mobs attacked Black residents and destroyed their homes and businesses over several days. By establishing this as a national monument, the bill ensures that this important but painful chapter of American history is preserved and remembered. The monument would serve as a place for education and reflection, allowing visitors to learn about what happened and understand its impact on race relations and civil rights in America.

Creating a national monument typically means the federal government takes control of the land to protect it from development and to manage it as a public site. This could include building visitor centers, historical markers, or educational facilities that help tell the story of the 1908 riot. The bill would likely allocate funding for these purposes and establish how the site should be managed and maintained going forward. For people in Springfield and across the country, this provides an official recognition that this historical tragedy matters and deserves to be remembered as part of America's shared history.

Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument Act

Duckworth, Tammy

Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument Act This bill establishes the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Illinois as a unit of the National Park System. The monument shall <ul> <li>preserve, protect, and interpret the resources associated with the Springfield Race Riot of 1908 and its role in the forming of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and </li> <li>include the construction of a permanent memorial, within the boundary of the monument, to the victims, survivors, and descendants of survivors of the riot and to the Springfield community.</li> </ul> The Department of the Interior may expend appropriated funds to acquire or lease essential facilities for the administration of the monument and visitor services outside the boundary, but within the vicinity of the monument. Interior, using donated or appropriated funds, shall construct a memorial within the boundary of the monument. The bill (1) establishes the Springfield 1908 Advisory Commission to advise Interior regarding the management and development of the monument, and (2) terminates the commission 12 years after this bill's enactment. Interior shall consult with the commission on matters relating to the management and development of the monument.