Historical societies to dedicate marker for anniversary of East St. Louis race massacre

On the 106th anniversary of the East St. Louis Race Massacre, two historical societies will dedicate a marker this weekend to commemorate it.

Located at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s East St. Louis campus, the new marker from the state will be unveiled by the East St. Louis and Illinois State historical societies in a Sunday ceremony. Event organizers say it’s important to understand what happened and how it shaped the region.

“This is critical information that needs to be shared throughout that community,” Jaye Willis, director of the East St. Louis Historical Society, said Thursday during an appearance on St. Louis on the Air. “Not just for the people that live there, but the people who educate people who live there.”

Even though the legacy of the 1917 massacre will forever be instilled in the city’s history, some East St. Louisans say many in the area don’t know enough about it.

“It's critical that this should be known in our schools,” said Reginald Petty, an 87-year-old East St. Louis resident whose grandfather told him stories about the massacre. “It should be a part of the school curriculum.”