THE SPRINGFIELD RACE RIOT 1908

There was a harsh side to the USA in 1908, and for African Americans it could be a dangerous place.


The Springfield Race Riot of 1908 was sparked by Mabel Hallam's false accusation and fueled by economic and racial tensions already brewing in the black and white communities.

This riot also marked the last conflict between the races when the black people did not rise up as a group to defend themselves. As a possible result of the riots in the Great Emancipator's home town, an integrated group of concerned citizens gathered in the Big Apple, New York City. This group was seeking a solution to the growing problems between the blacks and the whites in America.

How could a city that prided itself on the home of the man who set the slaves free also try to run blacks out of their town?

If this could happen in Springfield, Illinois it could happen anywhere in the United States. Something had to be done. This idea gave rise to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Today as the most influential civil rights organization, it continues to strive for the civil liberties of African Americans.