President Joe Biden on Friday designated the site of a deadly 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois, as a new national monument, the sixth of his presidency.
Biden signed the proclamation on the 116th anniversary of the Springfield Race Riot, when a white mob of thousands rioted and killed at least six Black residents and burned blocks of homes and businesses.
Officials said the new monument will protect 1.6 acres of land and be managed by the National Park Service.
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The White House said that granting federal protection to the site would “help tell a more complete story of our nation’s history, including by recognizing difficult moments that have been ignored or obscured for far too long.”
