The Springfield 1908 Race Riots - 1552 Words

Springfield s history is a long and eventful one. Although there was one event that has seemed to haunt the citizens of Springfield for generations upon generations. This event is commonly referred to as the Springfield 1908 race riots. The race riots are remembered as a dark and painful part of springfield’s history. On June first, a single black man named Joe James jumped off a freight train entering springfield, and began a streak of partying. He had been arrested soon after, and was sentenced for 50 days in the jail, but was allowed to run errands while on parole. WHile on parole on June 3rd, he left and didn’t come back. While drunk, he had entered Clergy Ballard’s house the night before, and had slashed the neck of Clergy after attempting to sexually assault his daughter. The next day, after waking up on a park bench, multiple of Clergy’s relatives and neighbors ganged up on James and beat him senseless until police arrived to arrest James. They hau led him off to the town jail until shipped off to a court case. On August 14, over a month later, a newspaper reported that Mabel Hallam had been raped by George Richardson. She claimed that in the middle of the night while in her backyard, a black man came to her and allegedly raped her. There was no evidence, but George was convicted anyway. Sadly, this isn’t the first instance of racism in springfield. Racial tensions had long been an issue in the midwest, and even in the rest of the country. Springfield was anShow MoreRelatedSpringfield, Illinois, And The Springfield1512 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough Springfield, Illinois was home to Abraham Lincoln, not everyone shared his views. Many people were racist and prejudice toward the colored community. Not all of people s thoughts are purely their own, some are given from peers, family, or the media. Newspaper media in Springfield, Illinois during 1908 had such a large influence on the events and thoughts of the people, that they essentially caused the Springfield race riot. The Newspapers In Springfield 1908, there were two major newspapersRead MoreA Media Controlled Race Riot900 Words   |  4 Pages A Media Controlled Race Riot The very first thing millions of people do when they wake up is check their phones, and log into whatever social media sites that they are a part of, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and many more. On these sites, there are several ads or newspaper articles depicting different political messages or views. These advertisements and news articles can easily influence our thoughts on different aspects of life, such as religious view or racial identity. DuringRead MoreThe Long Journey Of African Americans1176 Words   |  5 Pagesthat was held at Niagara Falls, which required the rights of any free born American to be respected. The movement made little progress, but it helped in the formation of NAACP. This movement was formed as a result of the 1908 riots that occurred in Springfield Illinois. The riot led to the death of six African Americans and thousands of them forced to run away for their lives. The movement grew because of its earlier campaigns. It lobbied the congre ss to create and pass anti lynching bills that madeRead More National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People Essay725 Words   |  3 PagesNiagara Movement, led by William E. B. DuBois, the NAACP has had a volatile birth and a lively history (Beifuss 17:E4). The impetus for the creation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People came in the summer of 1908. Severe race riots in Springfield, Illinois, prompted William English Walling to write articles questioning the treatment of the Negro. Reading the articles, Mary White Ovington and Dr. Henry Moskowitz were compelled to meet with Walling. Consequently, the three alongRead MoreWilliam Dubois And African American Achievement Since The Paris World s Fair818 Words   |  4 PagesThey were over 30 branches and achievements of civil rights leaders and victories. The group still suffered from organizational weakness and lack of funds. The group was also not able to obtain alot of support. (Phil, 2017)â€Å"After the Springfield (Ill.) Race Riot of 1908, however, white liberals joined with the nucleus of Niagara militants and founded the NAACP the following year, 1909. The Niagara Movement disbanded in 1910, with the leadership of Du Bois forming the main continuity between the twoRead MoreEssay about NAACP1081 Words   |  5 PagesColored People). NAACP is an organization composed mainly of American blacks, but with many white members, whose goal is the end of racial discrimination and segregation. The association was formed as the direct result of the lynching (1908) of two blacks in Springfield, Ill. The incident produced a wide response by white Northerners to a call by Mary W. Ovington, a white woman, for a conference to discuss ways of achieving political and social equality for blacks. This conference led to the formationRead MoreNaacp1094 Words   |  5 PagesColored People). NAACP is an organization composed mainly of American blacks, but with many white members, whose goal is the end of racial discrimination and segregation. The association was formed as the direct result of the lynching (1908) of two blacks in Springfield, Ill. The incident produced a wide response by white Northerners to a call by Mary W. Ovington, a white woman, for a conference to discuss ways of achieving political and social equality for blacks. This conference led to the formationRead MoreAfrican Americans : Slavery And Oppression1602 Words   |  7 PagesDuBois believe that the only way to defeat segregation was through protest and agitation. Washington was harshly criticized for failing to ask President Theodore Roosevelt to suppress a race riot in Atlanta, in which ten blacks died, or to condemn the President’s dismissal of three companies of black soldiers after a riot in Brownsville, Texas. What Washington’s critics did not know was that he sometimes worked quietly behind the scenes. He secretly bankrolled legal challenges to disenfranchisement andRead MoreThe National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People1627 Words   |  7 PagesThe National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) states its mission as: â€Å"The NAACP insures the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority groups and citizens; achieves equality of rights and eliminates race prejudice among the citizens of the United States; removes all barriers of racial discrimination through the democratic processes; seeks to enact and enforce federal, state, and local laws securing civil rights; informs the public of the adverse effectsRead MoreThe Chicago Public School System1226 Words   |  5 Pagesthat was overturned by the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling of 1984. This case was trying to challenge the Louisiana s Separate Car Act, a law that made railroads in Louisiana provide â€Å"equal but separate accommodations† for patrons of different races. A multiracial man name named Homer Plessy worked with a group called the Citizens’ Committee to Test the Consti tutionality of the Separate Car Law. He was arrested for violating the law after sitting in an area of a train meant for white people. He