Mayor Davlin and NAACP praise design, location for 1908 Springfield Race Riot sculpture

for more information:
Ernie Slottag 789-2235

 Famed artist Preston Jackson is creating a permanent tribute to the event that sparked the formation of the NAACP 100 years ago

Mayor Timothy J. Davlin and the Springfield branch of the NAACP today praised the design for the 1908 Springfield Race Riot sculpture being created by famed artist Preston Jackson, and noted the planned location of the sculpture in Union Square Park adjacent to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum is the ideal high visibility area for this important piece of art.

“The installation of this sculpture will culminate a year of remembrance and reflection about an event a century ago that forever changed the lives of all Americans.  While Springfield was thrust into the national spotlight back then, it is similarly in the spotlight today attracting the attention of thousands of visitors from all over the world, visitors that we hope to better educate about Springfield’s unique history through this exciting work by Preston Jackson,” said Springfield Mayor Timothy J. Davlin.

"We are very pleased with Mr. Jackson’s willingness to work with us on this lasting memorial to this history-making event,” said Ken Page, president of the Springfield Branch of the NAACP.

The state’s Capital Development Board awarded a $300,000 grant to the City of Springfield for the sculpture, and the city selected world renowned Illinois artist Preston Jackson to create it. Jackson is a tenured professor of sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, has served as chair of the department, and is currently the head of the Figurative Area of the Sculpture Department. His large-scale outdoor sculpture as well as his smaller bronze pieces have been exhibited widely in the United States.

The bronze sculpture designed by Jackson and approved by the 1908 Race Riot Commemoration Statue Committee will consist of two sections representing burned-out buildings shown in photos after the riot. The walls will face each other with elements showing that the structures were once connected as one building. Each of the two pieces will be approximately ten feet tall, four feet wide, and contain cast bronze relief sections of varying sizes depicting the riot’s aftermath.

“This will be a quality, dynamic piece with a lot of abstract elements. The sculpture will be pleasing to the eye and safe for the eyes of children – it will be a non-violent history lesson,” said artist Preston Jackson.

Work on creating the sculpture will soon begin in Chicago and the completed work of art will be brought to Springfield, where it will be installed in Union Square Park across from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum.

The Springfield Race Riot began August 14, 1908 when a crowd formed outside the Sangamon County Jail in Springfield where two African American men were held for alleged crimes against whites. When the prisoners were moved to another city for safety reasons, the crowd outside the jail began to riot. Black-owned businesses and homes were destroyed, at least seven people were killed with many more injured, and despite the arrival of the state militia rioting continued until August 16. A total of 117 people were indicted for riot, arson, larceny and murder. However, only two people were punished for the riot: One person pled guilty to burglary, larceny, riot and arson and was sent to prison; one other participant was found guilty of petty larceny. Jolted to action by the violence in Springfield, social activists founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).