Biden to designate 1908 Springfield race riot site as national monument

Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to sign a proclamation designating a national monument in Springfield, Illinois, at the site of a 1908 race riot that later fueled the formation of the NAACP. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during her briefing with reporters on Wednesday that the ceremony will be held Friday in the Oval Office and will feature civil rights leaders and community leaders from Springfield, Abraham Lincoln’s hometown. The ceremony comes just 5 1/2 weeks after the shooting death in Springfield of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman. She was shot by a sheriff’s deputy in her home after calling 911 for help.