Springfield and Green County Remembrance Coalition Soil Collection Ceremony
September, 19 2020 | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Park Central Square Springfield, MO 65806
https://www.springfieldmo.gov/
This Saturday, September 19th at 1PM, the Springfield and Green County Remembrance Coalition will host a soil collection ceremony at Park Central Square, the site at which three African American men, Fred Coker, Horace B. Duncan and Will Allen, were lynched in 1906 following false allegations and the growing terror of white lynch mobs in Springfield.
A small group will gather at Park Central Square for the ceremony, and the general public is encouraged to watch a live video stream of the soil collection ceremony and service honoring the lives of Fred Coker, Horace B. Duncan, and Will Allen at springfieldmo.gov,
Facebook.com/CityofSGF
, and Africanamericanheritagetrailsgf.org due to COVID-19 safety restrictions limiting mass gatherings.
The labeled jars of soil will then be transported to the Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City where they will be on display in an exhibit recognizing lynching victims across the state of Missouri, creating a memorial that acknowledging the horrors of racial injustice.
“We bear witness to the devastation these murders wrought upon individuals, families, and our community. We invite the public to join our effort to help this nation confront and recover from tragic histories of racial violence and terrorism and to create an environment where there can truly be equal justice for all,” said Springfield Mayor Ken McClure.
For more information about the Springfield and Green County Remembrance Coalition, and Fred Coker, Horace B. Duncan and Will Allen, please visit www.crp-mo.org/greene-county-coalition .
