Scherer Highlights Central Illinois Chapters in Black History

DECATUR, Ill. – State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, is celebrating Black History Month by recognizing the role Central Illinois people, locations, and events have played in the effort to promote equality and justice.

“I’m proud to represent our Central Illinois communities, which have played critical roles in the advancement of African-Americans throughout the country,” said Scherer. “Springfield is the home of the great emancipator, Abraham Lincoln, who once represented Sangamon County as I do today. And Barack Obama, our first Black president, started his political career right here in the same Capitol that I work in during legislative session.”

This Black History Month, Scherer is recognizing the many ways Decatur and Springfield have been a part of that legacy. The NAACP was founded in response to the outcry following the 1908 Springfield Race Riot that left 16 people dead in the aftermath of a lynching. Decatur is the home of Roger Walker, Jr., the first Black person to serve as a sheriff in the state of Illinois.

“As others seek to turn a blind eye and erase our history, I ask that my fellow Americans do their best to remember and understand the past because those who do not are doomed to repeat it,” said Scherer. “Our diversity empowers our unity, and it is paramount we work together to understand and learn from one another.”