SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - A piece of legislation from Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) that would make the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riots nationally recognized has moved forward in the U.S. House of Representatives.
On Monday, Davis was able to secure funding for a study required to determine whether or not the site should be added to the National Park System.
President of the NAACP chapter in Springfield, Teresa Hayley, said this is a project she and Davis have been working on for years.
"Pretty much since they discovered there were additional houses burnt down at that site, Rodney and I have worked hard to make sure Springfield was recognized for the 1908 Race Riots," Hayley said.
According to Davis, the site of the Race Riots is an important part of not only the nation's, but the state's, history.
"We really have been on the front lines when it comes to race relations in this country," Davis said. "We need to recognize the 1908 Race Riot site for what it is. It was one of those pivotal moments in our nation's history that helped birth the NAACP."
Davis said this is not only a critical step towards giving the site the recognition it deserves, but it also ensures future generations never forget about the innocent lives lost.
"It's one more lessons learned in our nation's history of where we grew from tragedies, and that's where the history of Springfield comes together," Davis said. "Unfortunately, it usually took pivotal moments and tragic moments like the 1908 Race Riots to make Americans, and even Illinoisans, step back and say we need to do things differently."
Hayley agreed, saying this is a piece of history no one should ever forget.
"If you don't talk about your history, you're bound to repeat it," Hayley said. "If we can have open dialogue about it that is a form of healing for those of us that live in Springfield and nationwide."
The site of the 1908 Race Riots was just recently added to the African American Civil Rights Network.
