Joe Biden on Friday was joined by civil rights leaders to sign a proclamation to designate the site of the 1908 Springfield race riot a national monument.
“We’re re-writing history,” Biden told civil rights leaders.
WATCH:
BIDEN: “We’re re-writing history.” pic.twitter.com/WTNJ7DYITX
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 16, 2024
Biden once again falsely claimed he got involved in politics because of the civil rights movement.
“You know, I got involved in politics because of this movement…[unintelligible] my state was a slave state and I ran to change the nature of the parties.
This is, of course, a lie.
WATCH:
Here’s Biden falsely claiming (for the millionth time) that he “got involved in politics” because of the civil rights movement.
REMINDER: Comrade Kamala covered up the obvious decline of this degenerate liar. pic.twitter.com/kQrBLxUacE
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 16, 2024
Biden was never involved in the civil rights movement.
Biden never participated in the civil rights movement. He has told a version of this lie many times.
In 1987, Joe Biden falsely claimed he marched in the civil rights movement and eventually dropped out of the presidential race.
Biden finally admitted he lied about marching in the civil rights movement.
WATCH:
In 1987, Joe Biden claimed he marched in the civil rights movement. A few months later, Biden disavowed the claim. Decades later, during the Obama era, and more recently on the campaign trail, he started making the same claims again. https://t.co/NAlMJ6ZTq7 pic.twitter.com/tpmE6VXmG6
— The Intercept (@theintercept) February 14, 2020
Full statement from the White House:
Today, during the 116th anniversary of the Springfield Race Riot, which occurred August 14-16, 1908, President Biden will sign a proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Springfield, Illinois. The new national monument will tell the story of a horrific attack by a white mob on a Black community that was representative of the racism, intimidation, and violence that Black Americans experienced across the country. National outrage at the attack – which occurred just blocks away from President Abraham Lincoln’s home – spurred action on civil rights, including the creation of the organization now known as the NAACP.
By establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, President Biden is recognizing the significance of these events and the broader history of Black community resilience in the face of violent oppression. At a time when some are working to rewrite history and erase painful moments in our past, President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to protecting places that help tell a more complete story of our nation’s history, including by recognizing difficult moments that have been ignored or obscured for far too long.
The Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument will also showcase the power of individual Americans who came together across racial lines and took action in the face of injustice. Following the riot, national leaders gathered to work together for civil rights, which led to the creation of the NAACP and helped turn the Springfield 1908 Race Riot’s legacy from one of tragedy alone to an event that led to enduring progress and change for communities nationwide.
Today’s designation furthers the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing civil rights and racial justice, including through President Biden signing the Emmett Till Antilynching Act to codify lynching as a federal hate crime, establishing the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, and dedicating Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
