Springfield Illinois is defined in our countries history by two contradictions: Abraham Lincoln and the 1908 race riot.
The "Great Emancipator" immortalized the city, while the fatal riot, scandalized it. Unlike Lincoln, the race riot has been greatly ignored and memories suppressed. It is the tragic tale of festering racism that tore apart a community and forced to the entire nation to witness the violent rage of a northern city in its darkest hour.
Produced by the UIS Office of Electronic Media (1998)
