Award-winning documentary draws attention to race riot, larger racial issues

Dr. Wesley Robinson-McNeese recalled a scene where he was swimming with some Air Force buddies in the waters off Biloxi Beach in Mississippi in the late 1960s.

A stranger pulled up in a pickup truck and, producing a shotgun and hurling epithets, promised that he was going to "blow away" McNeese, who is Black, if he didn't get out of the water.

"My friends said, 'Wes, you’re a soldier, you don’t have to do that,'" McNeese remembered. "I said, 'He’s not aiming the shotgun at you guys. He’s aiming it at me.'"

That is one of several personal episodes McNeese recounted in his scathing poem "Face to Face," which was inspired by an event commemorating the centennial of the 1908 Race Riot in Springfield. It was originally published in Quiddity, a literary journal published by then-Benedictine University Springfield, later in 2008.

McNeese, 72, a retired emergency room physician and executive director of diversity initiatives for the Southern Illinois University System, has periodically given readings of the poem in the area.

Now, thanks to The Storyteller Studios in Springfield, the poem has new life as a three-and-half-minute film narrated by McNeese from inside the remains of Black-owned homes that were burned in Springfield's Race Riot.

University of Illinois Springfield assistant history professor Devin Hunter said he heard McNeese recite the poem on a couple of occasions, including once when he drew a standing ovation at the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum.

"It really made an impression on me, both the words and how it resonated with people," Hunter recalled.

Hunter was working on a project funded by the University of Illinois President's Office collaborating with artists, performers and writers in how they might capture and interpret the Race Riot in their various forms.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 14, 2020.

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UIS Perspectives: Bold legacy, bold future

The following is an excerpt from a column by Charles J. Schrage and Jessie Burrell, Co-chairs of University of Illinois Springfield 50th Anniversary Steering Team. This column appeared in The State Journal-Register on November 1, 2020.

It’s time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the University of Illinois Springfield!

With roots in Sangamon, the Bold Legacy began in 1970. At the time, the University had no permanent buildings, no traditions, and yet it possessed a bold, new vision for higher education, a public affairs mandate and a “blue memo” to build upon.

Dr. Larry Golden, professor emeritus and founding faculty member, helps connect those humble beginnings with today’s civically engaged University and student-centered educational mission. “UIS remains a university that continues to aspire to fulfill its original missions of public affairs and student centered teaching and learning. It has excellent, caring faculty who provide students the opportunity to gain a superb education and to grow and thrive as active citizens,” Golden said.

Alumna Karen Hasara exemplifies civic engagement and leadership. She is a retired member of the UI Board of Trustees, and among the founding graduates of the University. “The fall of 1970 opened new doors for so many of us at this brand new educational institution called Sangamon State University. Its vision was indeed bold,” Hasara said.

A rebirth of the University formally began on July 1, 1995. The merger of Sangamon State University with the University of Illinois System accelerated growth and innovation going into a new millennium, enabling the university’s academic excellence to be shared throughout the world.

The late 1990s saw university innovation in its truest form. Faculty utilized newly discovered technologies to harness the growing power of the internet, thereby expanding teaching and learning well beyond traditional “bricks and mortar” classrooms. UIS online classes were among the nation’s very first. Today, UIS online programs are recognized among the nation’s very, very best!

In 2001, the university welcomed its first freshman class with introduction of the Capital Scholars Honors Program.

This anniversary also provides an opportunity to look forward, and celebrate the Bright Future, and promise, which public higher education holds. The Bright Future enabled by outcomes of UIS’ Innovate Springfield business and social innovation hub; the Bright Future of our community enabled by the university’s commitments to diversity, inclusion and social justice. Enabling pursuit of the Bright Future for so many students is the Reaching Stellar fundraising campaign, with well over 100,000 private gifts already made in support of the $40 million goal.

As you likely expect, UIS is “creatively pivoting” its anniversary celebration. Every reasonable precaution is being taken to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community. We are United in Safety for your protection, and the protection of students, faculty and staff.

The 50th Anniversary souvenir issue of UIS Today magazine will be published later this month, featuring unique, historic and forward thinking content. UIS social media and the web feature nostalgic content with “flashback” historical photos and videos..

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UIS, UIUC create mobile recording studio

As part of a faculty collaboration between the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), the universities created the Hip-Hop Xpress, a school bus that serves as a mobile recording studio.

Hip-hop artists in the capital city are invited to visit the bus to write original music using instrumental tracks that were created by Champaign producers.

Officials said when the Hip-Hop Xpress is finished, they plan to have it travel across the state to different communities and classrooms to teach about African-American history and cultural innovations spurred on by hip-hop.

The outside of the bus displays its name and the names of various artists. The inside of the bus is empty, except for its use of transporting non-permanent recording equipment.

The bus was partially funded by a University of Illinois System Presidential Initiative to Celebrate the Impact of the Arts and the Humanities grant worth $150,000.

UIS Instructor of Sociology and African American Studies Tiffani Saunders, along with UIUC faculty members Adam Kruse, Malaika McKee, and William Patterson, played a significant role in the creation of the Hip-Hop Xpress.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on September 24, 2020.

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UIS discussion will focus on race riot site, Cahokia Mounds

The University of Illinois Springfield Lunch & Learn Series at the Student Union Ballroom on March 3 will focus on two historic archeological sites.

The discussion begins at 11:30 a.m. and will explore the unearthing of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site and the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site.

UIS student Katie Brethorst, a senior history major, will discuss her experience as an intern helping to unearth important historical artifacts from the site of the race riot, located along the 10th Street railroad tracks and Madison Street in Springfield.

William Iseminger, archaeologist, author and retired assistant site manager of the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, will discuss the prehistoric mysteries of the largest, most complex archaeological site north of Mexico, considered America’s first city.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 17, 2020.

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The University of Illinois Springfield opens the Sangamon Experience

The University of Illinois Springfield has held a grand opening for the Sangamon Experience.

The experience is a new on-campus exhibition which will tell the history of the Sangamon Region of central Illinois.

Chancellor Susan J. Koch was present at the ceremony as she welcomed about more than 300 people to the exhibit.

The exhibit was held on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center. The exhibition is a multifaceted initiative that includes space of about 5,300-square-foot. The exhibition includes multimedia and interactive exhibits, historical maps, and photographs and a small theater. The exhibition will also include an interpretive text which was developed by teams of UIS students, faculty and community partners.

An anonymous, major gift to the University of Illinois Springfield helped made this possible.

This story appeared in the Chicago Morning Star on February 2, 2020.

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Black History Month in Springfield opens with candlelight vigil

February marks Black History Month, a federally recognized celebration of African American history and culture.

Events are scheduled in the Springfield area especially at the University of Illinois Springfield and Lincoln Land Community College highlighting the observance that begins Saturday.

UIS The theme of this year’s celebration is “We Are Deeply Rooted.”

UIS director of diversity and inclusion Justin Rose said the students had a significant say in forming the statement, which he said is meant to be a “simple, yet powerful” reminder that they “are the building blocks” of America. “And so we thought to turn it on its head and call it what it is, that we are deeply rooted in every phase of America and that our presence matters,” Rose said.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on January 31, 2020.

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A Brief History of Thanksgiving

Guest View: A Brief History of Thanksgiving written by Graham A. Peck. He is the Wepner Distinguished Professor of Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield.

In 1867, the popular New York City printmaking firm Currier and Ives published “Home to Thanksgiving.” The print celebrated domestic bliss. Although the roofs of the house and the barn were covered in snow, all was warm within: The grandmother cradled her granddaughter while the young husband warmly grasped the hand of his father-in-law. The print reflected mid-19th century domestic ideals that the American middle and upper classes had come to associate with Thanksgiving.

Yet Thanksgiving was not always a family holiday, but only slowly became one, which reminds us that everything — including holidays — has a history. To understand Thanksgiving now we need to know its past.

This article appeared in the State Journal-Register on November 28, 2019. 

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UIS students remember victims of September 11th attack

Students at the University of Illinois Springfield remembered the lives lost during September 11, 2001.

Hundreds of flags were placed around campus.

The student organizer said the goal was to raise awareness about a tragedy that happened before they were born and wanted to make sure students don't forget about it.

"We need to look past our differences in our culture, we need to look past our differences and really just see this is something as all Americans, we can come together and honor people who have lost their lives," President of College Republicans Andrew Cunningham said.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on September 11, 2019.

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History Harvest gets more personal

An NAACP pin given to a nurse during a 1966 Chicago riot, articles about Vice President Walter Mondale’s 1979 visit to Loami and photographs of a Lithuanian family were some of the items 40 to 50 people brought to the University of Illinois Springfield’s History Harvest on Saturday at Innovate Springfield.

The History Harvest was the UIS history department’s second. The first was held in 2016.

This year’s was a bicentennial event; organizers asked people to bring items connecting them or their family to Illinois history.

It drew more people and items than the first, according to UIS assistant professor of history Devin Hunter. “It seems the quality of the items are a little more interesting this time,” Hunter said. “Last time, we had a theme about political campaigns, so we got a lot of campaign buttons and stickers which were interesting, but we didn’t get the breadth of materials that we’re getting now: family photo albums, things from the Lithuanian-American and African-American communities, people who have deep roots in the Springfield area. We’re getting a lot more of that this time around.”

As with the first History Harvest, UIS students asked owners about the items they brought and then scanned them to be archived online.

The history department will develop the online archive of items collected Saturday and continue work on the 2016 archive.

Hunter said. UIS will hold a third History Harvest in 2020, he said, but its theme hasn’t been finalized.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on October 13, 2018.

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Net neutrality: What is it?

On Friday, the Federal Communication Commission is set to vote on a plan to repeal 2015 regulations on internet service providers. Included in those regulations is a theory called “net neutrality.”

We asked University of Illinois Springfield Communications Associate Professor Ann Strahle to explain what that is.

“Net neutrality is the idea, the theory, that all internet service providers, ISPs, should treat all internet traffic equally,” Strahle said. “It doesn’t matter what kind of content it is, that it is all distributed equally.”

In a statement calling for the repeal, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai argued that, for twenty years, the internet “thrived under a light-touch regulatory approach.”

“Under my proposal, the federal government will stop micromanaging the internet,” Pai wrote. “Instead, the FCC would simply require Internet service providers to be transparent about their practices so that customers can buy the service plan that’s best for them.”

Critics of the change argue that removing net neutrality means internet companies could cut deals with some customers to give them an unfair advantage over others.

Several commentators have suggested, for example, that an internet provider could cut a deal with one video streaming service like Hulu to give them faster speeds than competitors like Netflix.

Other critics worry removing the requirement could put free speech at risk.

“If access to certain information is only available to those people who can pay more, then that can be seen as a limit to the freedom of speech or the freedom of the press and how people get their information,” Strahle said.

This story appeared on WAND TV on December 12, 2017.

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Military museum aims to give video gamers historical context

The Illinois State Military Museum is asking video gamers to put down their controllers and stop by to get a first-hand look at some of the equipment, uniforms and weapons they see as they fight in the digital world.

The “War Games” event at the museum (admission is free), which runs from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, was the idea of Lizzie Roehrs, 21, of Springfield, an intern at the museum and a student at the University of Illinois Springfield.

She noticed that kids coming through the museum on school field trips could easily identify many of the weapons on display. They told her they had seen them while playing video games. “The connection is already there. They are already associating what they see in video games with history,” Roehrs said. “But, with playing a video game, they don’t get a lot of context. So the idea for the event came from not only wanting to encourage kids to continue an interest in history, but also to teach them that there is more to the events in video games than what’s on the screen.”

During “War Games,” there will be re-enactors at the museum explaining how and why certain equipment was used. Attendees will also be able to try on uniforms and explore a trench.

In addition, Roehrs is setting up displays in the lobby with some of the tools and weapons in the museum’s collection that she’s seen in video games. One such item is a Japanese knee mortar that can be seen in “Call of Duty: World at War.”

Soldiers from the Illinois National Guard fought Japanese troops in the Pacific Theater during World War II as part of the 33rd Infantry Division. Roehrs has also found uniforms and uniform patches that are seen in some of the video games. “We have a ton of artifacts at the museum. We have an entire vault full of artifacts and an additional building on the National Guard base that is packed with these artifacts. We have items from the state militia through the modern, global war on terror,” Roehrs said.
“I look at these kids as potential history buffs,” Roehrs said. “Maybe they don’t realize that they are as into it as they are. If you give them a little more of the history, bring them out to the museum and show them the real thing, that could spark an interest in history.”

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on June 16, 2017.

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'The Afterlife of John Fitzgerald Kennedy': A New Book About How Americans Remember JFK

Like many Americans who were alive on Nov. 22, 1963, noted historian Michael J. Hogan remembers vividly the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

“Even though I was too young to vote for Kennedy at the time, I was not too young to remember the personal impact of the assassination and the incredible drama of the funeral, which captured American attention minute by minute for the better part of four days,” Hogan said in a recent phone interview.

Emeritus professor of history and former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the Ohio State University, Hogan is now a distinguished professor of history at the University of Illinois Springfield. When he began researching what he thought would become a book about Kennedy’s funeral, he discovered what he called Kennedy’s “astonishingly high” three-year average popularity rating, based on Gallup Poll data.

“It just got me thinking about Kennedy’s memory over time, because even now he’s often rated in public opinion polls, one after the other, as the most popular and the most highly regarded president in the whole of the 20th century and certainly since the end of the Second World War. So here he is, gone 50 years and yet still very, very highly regarded. And I wanted to know why that was – after 50 years his memory seems to be so strongly sustained in the popular imagination,” Hogan said.

Hogan was featured by WOSU Public Media on May 24, 2017.

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Good for the soul: Food, fellowship on menu for UIS event

With a plate full of good food and surrounded by friends, University of Illinois Springfield junior Eric Hines said he felt back home Sunday night.

Hines was one of more than 50 people who came out Sunday for Soul Glo'/Soul Food at UIS. The event, organized by the school's diversity center, is part of UIS' African-American History Month series.

Hines, from Cicero, loaded up his plate with collard greens, macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, fried catfish, candied yams and salmon croquettes. His first few bites did not disappoint. "This brings back memories of home," he said.

Justin Rose, student program adviser in the diversity center, said Nickey's Place, a new restaurant at White Oaks Mall, catered Sunday's meal. The event also featured an educational booth from Springfield's African-American History Center.

While soul food brings people together, Rose said, the event was much more than just providing a free meal.

"This event allows our student body to re-enact and teach others about fellowship and be communal with one another in a time when we need to be," he said.

Soul food, Rose said, is a cuisine traditionally prepared in the black community, with origins dating back to the era of slavery. Back then, he said, slaves would only get scraps, so they came up with different ways to make the leftovers taste better. "They were very innovative," he said.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on February 19, 2017.

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Best of Springfield 2016 - Best Places

Best place to get a higher education - University of Illinois Springfield.

Hooray for University of Illinois Springfield, arguably the scrappiest institution of higher learning to hit the land of Lincoln since Red Grange galloped past the outstretched arms of lesser men.

From the very beginning, UIS, which began life as Sangamon State University in 1969, has demonstrated that it’s a serious academic institution where independent thought is cherished – in 1971, the campus, including the university president, wore floppy hats in protest after a state legislator criticized Professor Gus Stevens for wearing a hat in the presence of women.

“It’s not what we wear, it’s what’s under our hats that counts,” Stevens said back then, and it’s still true today.

Enrollment has shot past 5,400, up by around 1,000 from a decade ago. More than 1,000 students live on campus, and there are plenty of online courses for those who can’t be full-time students.

The school has been rated highly by U.S. News and World Report, and readers agree: You can’t beat UIS when it comes to getting a leg up.

This story appeared in The Illinois Times on October 27, 2016.

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Lincoln ax, FDR letter brought to UIS History Harvest

Since Springfield is a political town in a political state, perhaps it’s no surprise that when the University of Illinois Springfield put out a call for residents to bring in their political memorabilia, they got at least 450 items.

It was a parade of campaign posters, buttons, bumper stickers, T-shirts and more during the UIS History Harvest event Saturday at the Old State Capitol.

Some of the more interesting items included Abraham Lincoln campaign buttons and a small, about 3-inches long, ax from Lincoln’s 1860 presidential campaign. There also was a letter from four-time President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and a uniform from President Lyndon B. Johnson’s campaign. 

The project was the idea of history professors Ken Owen and Devin Hunter, who wanted to “increase the public history work and digital media work” their students are doing, Owen said.

About eight or nine colleges in the country have held a history harvest. UIS is the first to do so in the Midwest, according to Hunter. The idea is to have the community bring in historical artifacts that relate to a particular theme (in this case politics) so students can make digital scans of them, learn citizens’ stories about the items, and make a permanent online archive of the photos and stories.

“We’re hoping to learn about how ordinary citizens engage with and experience the electoral process,” Owen added. “We want to know why the particular messages have resonance with people and why particular bits of memorabilia stuck in their mind and have personal meaning.”

The UIS students, who planned and ran the History Harvest, may have a list of artifacts and their pictures available online within a couple weeks, according to Hunter. Check their website for updates.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on October 22, 2016.

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UIS 'harvesting' political memorabilia for website

If you have political memorabilia, you can share it with the world and keep it at the same time, thanks to a planned “history harvest” in Springfield.

The history department at the University of Illinois Springfield is hosting an event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Old State Capitol, where members of the community are being asked to bring items that can be photographed or scanned, to be shared on a website. Some audio or video recording also may be done.

“We won’t be keeping anything physically,” said Kenneth Owen, an assistant professor of history at UIS. “And we’ll have a team of students that are around to talk to you about the individual object and sort of take notes to help us build the archive.”

Owen said the “history harvest” concept was begun at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and has spread to other areas.

Owen said he hopes the “harvest” will bring out views of some items with personal or family meaning. “It might be that you have some memento of meeting a candidate or going to a rally, or it might be that you were involved in a campaign and someone wrote a letter of thanks,” Owen said. “There are a lot of interesting stories out there, and we’re looking forward to hearing them.”

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on October 16, 2016.

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Japanese-Americans see significance in Obama's Hiroshima visit

Erika Suzuki of Springfield recalled talking to an American who recently visited Hiroshima.

"He told me that they didn't expect an apology (from President Obama), that they only required three words: 'No more Hiroshimas,' in any places in the world," said Suzuki, program coordinator for International Student Services at the University of Illinois Springfield.

"In my feeling, the majority of Hiroshima people want him to see and learn what happened (as a result of the bombing) and to lead the world into the future."

The visit adds to the “Obama Doctrine,” especially the use of diplomacy rather than a unilateral approach, said Ali Nizamuddin, an associate professor of political science at UIS.

“It’s not just a cosmetic visit,” said Nizamuddin. “It sends a positive message that the U.S. is committed to Japan and the security alliance.”

The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on May 22, 2016.

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Lincoln scholar to speak to historical group

A nationally known Abraham Lincoln scholar will speak April 19 during the annual meeting of the Morgan County Historical Society.

Michael Burlingame, history professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield, will speak on “What New Can Be Said about Abraham Lincoln?” during a dinner meeting that begins at 6 p.m. in Hamilton’s West Room. During his presentation, which follows dinner, Burlingame will talk about Lincoln’s off-color humor and his relations with famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

Burlingame holds the Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at UIS and is the author of “The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln,” “Lincoln and the Civil War” and “Abraham Lincoln: A Life.”

The presentation and dinner cost $20. Reservations can be made by April 15 by calling Rand or Pat Burnette at 217-245-5390.

The story was reported by the Jacksonville Journal Courier on April 7, 2016.

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Star Parties return Friday at UIS

Organizers of the first Star Party at then-Sangamon State University in 1976 learned one thing very quickly: It can be cold in December, especially on the roof of Brookens Library.

But that didn't deter interest, and the popular Friday Star Parties return this week and run through the end of October.

John Martin, associate professor of astronomy and physics at what is now the University of Illinois Springfield, said subsequent Star Parties were moved to fall. "The sun is setting at a reasonable time so that it becomes dark earlier, and the weather hasn't turned nasty," said Martin, the Star Parties host.

There will be seven regular 8-10 p.m. Friday Star Parties this year, plus a bonus party from 7 to 10 p.m. Sept. 27 (weather permitting) to view the start of a total lunar eclipse. "We haven't had a good lunar eclipse that is visible here in a while," Martin said.

A typical Star Party begins with a presentation as visitors ascend the stairs to the observatory, learning about galaxies, the sun and stars along the way. On the roof observation deck, visitors can view the skies through telescopes and ask questions.

Participants are welcome to arrive and leave as they wish between 8 and 10 p.m.

Reservations aren't required for the free Star Parties, and groups are encouraged to attend. The entrance to the campus observatory is outside Brookens Library on the southeast corner of the building.

The parties can be canceled for cloudy weather. Questions about whether the weather is suitable for viewing should be directed to 206-8342 at 7 p.m. on the evening of the Star Party.

This article appeared online in The State Journal-Register on September 7, 2015.

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Civil rights icon John Lewis' to appear at UIS as part of campuswide reading program

An appearance by civil rights icon John Lewis, now a U.S. congressman, will highlight events related to the University of Illinois Springfield's "One Book, One UIS" community read for 2015-16.

The graphic memoir "March," written by Lewis and Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell, tells Lewis' life story as a civil rights activist and leader. The book is a trilogy, with the third part yet to be published.

Jane Treadwell, UIS librarian and dean of library instructional services, said the book selection committee considered whether a graphic novel would have as much appeal as a traditional book to the campus community.

"Undergraduates already have been exposed, and they like that format," Treadwell said. "We decided that because of the subject matter, it would work."

The highlight of the "March" initiative is an Oct. 19 appearance by Lewis, Aydin and Powell at UIS. Tickets for the 7 p.m. event, which are free, are available Monday through the Sangamon Auditorium ticket office. The event is supported in part by Illinois Humanities and the Field Foundation of Illinois.

More information on the community read and the Oct. 19 event is available at onebookoneuis.com.

The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on August 31, 2015.

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