Biden to establish new monument at site of Illinois 1908 race riot

President Joe Biden is expected to declare the site of the 1908 Illinois race riot in Springfield, Illinois, as a new national monument later this week, according to the White House.

The president is expected to sign the order issuing the designation on Friday in the Oval Office,  a White House official told The Hill. The signing will occur on the 116th anniversary of the riot, and the ceremony will include civil rights leaders and elected officials.

The riot began when 5,000 white men gathered outside of a jail in Springfield and demanded jailers turn over two black men who were accused of rape and murder. One man was accused of raping a white woman, while the other was accused of killing a white man. However, the jailers had already moved the men to a jail in Bloomington.

The rioters decided to flood a black neighborhood since the men were moved, which resulted in the deaths of eight black men, five white men, and the destruction of roughly 35 black-owned businesses. 

The rioters also looted a white business that helped jailers move the black suspects. 

George Richardson, who was accused of raping the white woman, was released after the woman recanted the allegations, but Joe James, who was accused of murder, was convicted and hanged. The riot occurred between Aug. 14-16.

"The monument is a poignant reminder of the devastation Springfield and the nation faced during a time of racial violence," Illinois Lt. Gov.  Juliana Stratton said in a statement, per CBS News. "We honor the memories of the lives that were tragically cut short, the families irrevocably shattered, and the businesses destroyed."

The designation comes as scrutiny over race returns to Illinois, after a white former sheriff's deputy allegedly killed a black woman who called 911 over a suspected prowler. The scandal resulted in the former sheriff retiring from his post.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.