We thank President Biden for designating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument under the Antiquities Act. This site memorializes lives lost, underscores the ongoing fight for justice, and highlights the events leading to the NAACP's founding. As a proud partner of the National Park Service at Lincoln Home National Historic Site, we recognize the deep connections between these sites. As Ida B. Wells-Barnett noted, Black men were lynched “under the shadow of Abraham Lincoln’s tomb.” The establishment of the NAACP on Abraham Lincoln's birthday in 1909 underscored the enduring link between Lincoln's legacy and the struggle for freedom and equality. The mob violence was local, but the impact has been national. Preserving and interpreting this site is essential for understanding our nation’s complex history up to the present day.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation is proud to have been part of a multi-year effort and diverse coalition of organizations and individuals advocating for federal protection of this site, which now fills a critical gap in the National Park System. We look forward to working together to ensure the preservation, interpretation, and commemoration of this important place in American history for generations to come.