An initiative to promote and support reparative memorialization and research on the histories and ongoing legacies of lynching, race riots, and race massacres across Illinois.

Journeys to Justice Symposium and Workshop

April 4-5, 2025

April 4: University of Illinois Springfield, Student Union Ballroom

2251 Richard Wright Dr.
Springfield, IL 62703

April 5: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (Library Building)

112 N. Sixth St
Springfield, IL 62701

All program events are free, but require registration.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE EVENT

Program

Download Full Program and Schedule (pdf)

Click Here to Learn More about Our Presenters

Friday, April 4: University of Illinois Springfield (UIS), Student Union Ballroom, 221 Richard Wright Dr., Springfield, IL 62703

UIS Map: https://www.uis.edu/sites/default/files/inline-images/2020_MasterVisitorParking_Map.pdf

1:30 PM: Arrive for Bus Tour (Pre-Registration Required)

Parking Lot I-South: enter via University Drive or Eliza Farnham Drive (do not pay)

  • In case of rain, you may wait inside The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC), immediately northeast of Parking Lot I-South

2:00 PM: Bus Tour of Black Springfield and 1908 Springfield Race Riot Sites (Departs from UIS)

Led by Doris Bailey, historian-extraordinaire of Black Springfield and the 1908 Springfield Race Riot. Itinerary to be announced, for those who would like to follow separately.

6:00 PM to 7:00 PM: Reception (UIS Student Union Ballroom)

  • Park in Lot J or overflow in Lot F, Richard Wright Drive (do not pay)

Light refreshments and cash bar.

Musical performance: Senabella Gill with Robert Irving III

Film presentation: “I Bear Witness: The Untold Stories of American Race Riots”

7:00 PM: Dinner and Keynote Panel (UIS Student Union Ballroom)

Our keynote panel, “Descendants of the Greats,” includes Dan Duster, Myiti Sengstacke Rice, and Barbara Talley, descendants of activist and journalist Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Chicago Defender founder Robert Sengstacke Abbot, and freedom fighter Harriet Tubman.

Saturday, April 5: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM), Library Building, 112 N. 6th St., Springfield, IL 62701

Parking: The parking garage for the ALPLM is located on the corner of 6th and Madison Streets, with entry on 6th ($10 full day). Street parking is free in downtown Springfield, with some time restrictions. Allow for extra time, due to road closures for other events on April 5–arrive via the north if possible.

8:00 AM: Registration Table Open (ALPLM: Library Building)

8:00 AM to 9:00 AM: Morning Reception (ALPLM: Library Building)

Continental breakfast, tea, and coffee

Open starting at 10 AM: The “Black Rest Is Resistance Room” (ALPLM: Library Building)

Curated and hosted by Brittini “Ree Belle” Gray-Chiquillo from Mama Scrap’s, Inc. Sponsored by the UIS School of Education and the Unveiling Black Springfield Project.

Open starting at 11 AM: The “Black Joy and Creative Spirit Room” (ALPLM: Library Building)

Curated and hosted by Shatriya Smith, poet and executive director of the Garvey-Tubman Cultural Arts and Research Center, Springfield.

9:00 AM to 10:30 AM: First Panel and Discussion Session (ALPLM: Library Building, Multi-Purpose Room)

Un-Silencing and Memorializing Anti-Black Terror

  • Brian Mitchell, PhD, independent scholar
  • Clifton Jackson, independent scholar
  • Christian Fumey, Western Illinois University
  • Abby Troxell, Wester Illinois University

10:45 AM to 12:15 PM: Second Panel and Discussion Session (ALPLM: Library Building, Multi-Purpose Room)

Reflections on Visiting the Equal Justice Initiative Heritage Sites, Montgomery, Alabama

  • Aniya Sykes, Armani Willis, Kayla Taborn, Lashawnda Williams, Alexis Kepplee, and Jaidyn Sibaja, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
  • Moderator: Bryan Jack, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville

12:30 PM to 1:30 PM: Lunch and Speaker (ALPLM: Library Building, Multi-Purpose Room)

Speaker: Cequyna Moore, World Heritage-USA Monuments Toolkit Project Director

  • “Restoring Justice Through the Monuments Landscape”

1:45 PM to 3:15 PM: Third Panel and Discussion Session (ALPLM: Library Building, Multi-Purpose Room)

State and Nation: “Forward Ever, Backward Never”

  • Twyla Moore, Board Member, State of Illinois African-Descendants Reparations Commission
  • Jeffrey Trask, PhD, Board Member, State of Illinois African-American Descendants Reparations Commission
  • Pamela Hoff, PhD, James J. Stukel Distinguished Professor in Educational Policy and Equity, University of Illinois Springfield
  • Moderator: Tiffani Saunders, MA

3:30 PM to 5:00 PM: Workshops (ALPLM: Library Building, Multi-Purpose Room)

Healing Circle, facilitated by Terrence Pruitt and Justin Walker, Project Restore Initiative