Efforts To Rebuild After Springfield’s 1908 Race Riot Still Ongoing

It's been 110 years since the 1908 Race Riot erupted in Springfield. The violence and its aftermath inspired the founding of the NAACP, the prominent civil rights organization. A number of groups in the city recognized and remembered the violence and lives lost in a series of public events earlier this month. There are also plans to ensure more recognition in the future of a violent period many residents say deserves more attention.

James Loewenis a Decatur, Illinois native. He spoke in Springfield a decade ago as part of efforts to commemorate the 100th year since the riot. Loewen is a nationally-renowned historian and author. He wrote the book Lies My Teacher Told Me. 

“The Springfield race riot was briefly famous around the world for the simple reason that it was in Abraham Lincoln's hometown and it kind of exemplified how far we had sunk with race relations. In fact, the crowd actually yelled something like, 'Abe Lincoln brought you in, we will drive you out,’” said Loewen, over a phone call from his current home in Washington, DC.

The riot, which some call a massacre, was incited by a white mob of thousands who wanted to lynch two black inmates housed at the county jail. One had been charged with murdering a white man, the other with raping a white woman.

After the two were spirited away for their safety, whites set on fire and destroyed black neighborhoods and brutalized and lynched two other innocent black men, one of whom had an interracial family.

The woman who claimed she was raped later recanted, and the accused was set free. The other inmate was convicted of murder, and sentenced to death by hanging.

By the end of the month, a grand jury brought over 100 indictments against dozens of people alleged to have taken part in the violence and destruction. There was only one conviction. The violence reshaped the city in ways felt even today, but many people don’t know the story.