Race Riot of 1908

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was established on this date in 1909. This followed a race riot in Springfield, Illinois. In the rioting, a crowd of 5-10,000 white men destroyed 35 black-owned businesses before moving on to burn and destroy homes in the predominantly African-American part of town.

By this time, an estimated 12,000 whites had gathered to watch the houses burn. When firefighters arrived, people in the crowd impeded their progress and cut their hoses. African-American citizens fled town, found refuge with sympathetic whites, or hid in the State Arsenal, where the militia protected them. The militia finally dispersed the crowd late that night after reinforcements arrived after 2 am.

The next day, as thousands of black residents fled the city, another 5,000 militiamen arrived to keep the peace, although not early enough to save the second black victim of the mob. Curiosity seekers and tourists who had read about the riots in the newspaper also came to the stricken city. A new mob formed and approached the State Arsenal, where many black residents had taken refuge. When confronted by a militiaman, the crowd changed direction. Several hundred men and boys went to the home of black resident William Donnegan, who was known for his marriage to Sarah Rudolph, an Irish-German woman about thirty years younger. When 84 year old Donnegan came outside after threats of burning his house, the mob captured him, cut his throat, and lynched him in a tree across the street, two blocks from the governor’s office. Sarah escaped with their infant daughter and was taken in by a neighbor. The militia quelled the riots that day, leaving 40 homes and 24 businesses in ruins, and seven people confirmed dead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Race_Riot_of_1908

Did you know this story? During Black History Month, we rightly honor the legacy of great women and men. However, forgetting stories like this would be like celebrating Easter and pretending Good Friday never happened … oh wait … that is pretty much how modern Christianity does it.

by Michael Piazza
Center for Progressive Renewal