New UIS Sangamon Experience exhibit highlights often-overlooked central Illinois history

Anne Moseley
Updated ·4 min read

A new Sangamon Experience exhibit at the University of Illinois Springfield focuses on central Illinois stories and history that are often overlooked.

Located on the lower level of the UIS Public Affairs Center, “The Struggle for Change” highlights individuals and movements that have shaped the region over the past two centuries. From pioneers challenging norms to civil rights activists sparking change, the stories highlighted in the exhibit form a tapestry of triumph over adversity. More than a commemoration, “The Struggle for Change” is an educational journey, urging visitors to engage deeply with those questioning the status quo.

Anne Moseley, director of the Center for Lincoln Studies and Sangamon Experience at the University of Illinois Springfield.
Anne Moseley, director of the Center for Lincoln Studies and Sangamon Experience at the University of Illinois Springfield.

The exhibit takes us back to 1973, when Sangamon State University (SSU), now UIS, Professor David Hilligoss spoke with David Schurr, SSU’s dean of humanities, who emphasized that "as a public affairs university, SSU should prioritize its commitment to the community more than any other state school." When Hilligoss was hired by SSU in 1973 as a key member of the university's innovative Individual Option curriculum, he actively advocated for American Indian causes nationwide. He worked alongside notable activists in campaigns related to the rights of incarcerated Native Americans, preserving indigenous cultural heritage, and fulfilling treaty rights, among other causes.

“The Struggle for Change” also explores Judge Harold Baker’s 1987 ruling that the commission government system in Springfield was unfair to African Americans. This system, which had been in place since 1911, had five full-time commissioners elected citywide who held governmental power. They were responsible for making laws and running departments. However, Baker explained that this system made it almost impossible for African Americans to get elected because it did not provide them with a fair chance.

As a result of the ruling, Springfield had to change its government system. The government switched to a mayor-aldermanic system where residents elect a full-time mayor who acts as the city administrator. Additionally, 10 part-time aldermen are elected from specific neighborhoods, called wards, and comprise the city's legislative body.

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This change ensured everyone was better represented in the city's government. It was an essential step toward making the government fairer and more inclusive. The first election after the change resulted in the election of two Black aldermen, Frank McNeil (one of the lawsuit plaintiffs) in a Black-dominated ward and Allan Woodson in a predominantly white ward.

The 1980s saw movements that sparked change not only in local government and debate over the Equal Rights Amendment but also in another movement that was taking place, the struggle for the civil rights of those in the LGBTQ+ community.

It's tricky to pinpoint precisely when the first laws against LGBTQ+ people in the United States began. Some early rules banned things like sodomy and "obscenities," which included gay relationships without saying it directly. One law, the Immigration Act of 1917, even stopped certain people from coming to the United States if they were seen as having a condition called "constitutional psychopathic inferiority," which was used to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people.

On a local level, in the 1980s, the Central Illinois Gay Lesbian Task Force (CIGLTF) was created to increase visibility for gay rights issues around Springfield. The central Illinois chapter includes Cass, Christian, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Montgomery, and Sangamon counties, although the group's 50 members were all from Sangamon County. There were 600 members of the task force statewide.

The CIGLTF recorded hate crimes against homosexuals in central Illinois - incidents such as people throwing rocks at members of the LGBTQ+ community and even trying to run them off the road - but often these events did not get reported by the media.

I invite you to view “The Struggle for Change” exhibit and learn about this important history while it’s on display through Sept. 6. The stories shared in “The Struggle for Change” are only a few of the many stories of those in the community who struggled to fight for the rights of others. This exhibit reminds us that pursuing change often comes at a high cost, but societies evolve and progress through these struggles.

Step into the past, be inspired and join the path toward a more just and equitable future.

Anne Moseley is the director of engagement and curator of the University of Illinois Springfield’s Sangamon Experience. Located on the lower level of the UIS Public Affairs Center, it is accessible to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: New UIS Sangamon Experience exhibit highlights overlooked history