“3 Hot Days in August” is a powerful, citywide observance honoring the legacy of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot, a pivotal event that helped lead to the founding of the NAACP. Join us for presentations, walking tours, a film screening, and community ceremonies as we reflect, reclaim, and remember history.
On Thursday, August 14th, Lincoln Library will host an Opening Reception featuring welcome remarks from Mayor Misty Buscher and Austin Randolph, President of the Springfield Branch NAACP. The evening will also include a screening of "Springfield Had No Shame" and presentations by Dr. Brian Mitchell and Anne Moseley. Seating is limited and registration is required: bit.ly/3hotdays
A full itinerary of programs—including walking tours, historical presentations, and a commemorative ceremony—can be found below.
We hope you’ll join us as we reckon with the past and work together toward a more just and equitable future.
Thank you to our partners:
Springfield Branch NAACP
Springfield African American History Museum
National Park Service
HSHS St. John's Hospital
Illinois State Museum
Illinois State Museum Society
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Fever River Research
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Sangamon Experience
UIS Center for Lincoln Studies
Hanson Professional Services, Inc.
Itinerary for "3 Hot Days in August"
Thursday, August 14
12:00 PM – Illinois State Museum, 502 S. Spring St.
• Presentation by Doris Bailey: “Blood in Their Eyes and Hate in Their Hearts: The Springfield 1908 Race Riot”
5:00 PM – Lincoln Library, 326 S. 7th St.
• Opening Reception in partnership with the Illinois State Museum Society
5:30 PM – Lincoln Library, 326 S. 7th St.
• Welcome Remarks: Mayor Misty Buscher & Austin Randolph, President, Springfield Branch NAACP
• Film Screening: “Springfield Had No Shame”
• Featured Presentations:
Dr. Brian Mitchell, UIS Lincoln Studies Center / Independent Scholar, “Exploring Black Springfield Beyond the Race Riot”
Anne Moseley, Director of Engagement and Curator of the UIS Sangamon Experience, “1908 Lesson Plans for Schools”
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Friday, August 15
9:30 AM - Old State Capitol State Historic Site, 1 Old State Capitol Plaza (Starts at the Lincoln Statues at 6th and Adams)
•IDNR Historic Sites, 1908 Race Riot Walking Tour
1:00 PM – Old State Capitol State Historic Site, 1 Old State Capitol Plaza (Starts at the Lincoln Statues at 6th and Adams)
• IDNR Historic Sites, 1908 Race Riot Walking Tour
2:00 PM – Lincoln Home National Historic Site, 413 S. 8th St.
•Featured Presentations:
Floyd Mansberger, Director of Fever River Research, “Archaeology of Racial Hatred: An Update of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot Site”
Chris Collins, Superintendent, New Philadelphia National Historic Site, Springfield 1908 Race Riot Monument, Lincoln Home National Historic Site, National Park Service
7:30 PM – Parking garage is available at HSHS St. John's Hospital Women and Children's Clinic, 500 North 9th Street, Springfield, IL. The National Monument is located at 400 North 9th Street. Attendees may walk to the National Monument from the parking garage.
7:45 PM Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument Commemoration: Joe Crain, Emcee, Director of Public Programs and Community Engagement, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Dr. Brian Mitchell, Remarks, UIS Lincoln Studies Center / Independent Scholar
Quinn P. Gilly and Chris Collins, National Park Service
Evening Remembrance Ceremony
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Saturday, August 16
9:30 AM Old State Capitol State Historic Site, 1 Old State Capitol Plaza (Starts at the Lincoln Statues at 6th and Adams)
• IDNR Historic Sites, 1908 Race Riot Walking Tour
2:30 PM – Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum, 1440 Monument Ave.
• Featured Presentation:
Ken Page, President of the Springfield Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
3:00–5:00 PM – Closing Reception
Also check out other Sports events in Springfield, Entertainment events in Springfield, Nonprofit events in Springfield.
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