PERSONAL CONNECTION
As was mentioned, no one’s history is pretty (“Our history is not pretty,” Aug. 15). I am proud that Springfield is making an effort to take a hard look at this horrible moment.
In some ways, it is woven into my family history. My grandparents helped hide some of the people who were threatened by the mob. My grandfather, who was a newspaper editor, stood as a witness for the prosecution because he saw the lynch mob go past, though at the time did not know what they were about to do.
Cathy Mosley
Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes
DON’T GO WOKE
The president and historians want the true history of America being told, warts and all. How can you call the American Museum of History accurate when it doesn’t even mention the founders, and our founding documents? The museum went woke which is nothing but leftist revisionist history driving an agenda.
Wonder why the youth of America are embracing socialism? Because the truth about our system of government isn’t being taught, but the lies about socialism are.
Fritz Pfister
Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes
UNDERSTAND THE JOURNEY
What’s especially frustrating about this conversation is the way some people are so focused on protecting the “white” version of things that they completely erase the history of Black Americans.
Telling the story of what happened isn’t “dredging up the past.” It’s telling the story of people who endured tragedy, injustice and downright murder and still found a way to come out on the other side. That is not something to hide or “white wash.”
The history of Illinois is not a story that belongs to a single group of people. It is a collection of experiences that brought us to where we are today. And when we erase the horrific chapters, we also erase the outstanding resilience of the incredible people who lived through them.
Black history isn’t just a story of what was done to Black people. It’s a story of what Black people built, survived, overcame and became, despite it all. And in that, created so much that we love today.
We aren’t “bringing up the past.” We are understanding the journey from where we were to where we are but also recognizing just how powerful that journey has been. Thank you to the incredible historians who are preserving this information and keeping the history alive. We need to know from whence we came to know how to not repeat it.
Sarah Jo Krall
Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes
LEARN FROM IT
You can’t change the past but you can learn from it. The presentations all three days at the “Three Hot Days in August: The Aftermath” event were so interesting and informative (“Three Hot Days,” Aug. 13). It was well worth the drive and time to attend and listen. It’s so easy to just view the destruction and deaths and miss how people (rich, poor and in-between) were affected after the destruction and some of the motives of those involved.
Donna J. Showalter
Via Facebook.com/illinoistimes
IF YOU BUILD IT…
I have noticed with interest the proposal being made to develop a bandstand/entertainment venue basically in the governor’s front yard (“Natural play space,” July 23). I believe that is a terrific idea, as it would provide what should, with proper management, be a popular venue for locals and out-of-towners alike. Some are saying it would be better used to attract new businesses or expand those already downtown.
With the state acquiring the property and doing the development, we can probably rest assured the job would be well-done and the activity well-run. The private sector, meanwhile, should be encouraged and motivated to increase enthusiasm and motivation for the rehabilitation into the thriving commercial/office area it once was
In another city, West Palm Beach, Florida, where I once worked as a reporter, a group is attempting to take control of that city’s oldest and most revered cemeteries, burial places of literally dozens of the city’s founders and pioneer citizens, for conversion into a cultural center, music venue, walking paths and center for other activities. Pioneer family members I’m familiar with are livid and preparing to battle the city over the project. Springfield certainly doesn’t need that sort of animosity!
The only negative I can think of is: how would the governor feel about food trucks on the street in front of his mansion?
Fred Lowery
Springfield
This article appears in 2026 Fall Guide.
