Some lawmakers want to commemorate a connection between Martin Luther King Jr. and Springfield

Posted on March 22, 2021
State Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago). (Dave Dahl/WJBC)

 

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Across the street from the Capitol, the Illinois State Armory is not much to look at. It’s a hulk, unused and fallen into disrepair.

But an Illinois Senate resolution recognizes its historical significance, and a bronze plaque may embody that significance, commemorating a speech Martin Luther King, Jr., gave to an AFL-CIO convention in 1965.

“The commemorative plaque will include the very words Dr. King spoke, sentiments of organizational progress, justice, democracy, and a faith in God,” said the sponsor, State Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago), who said afterward it’s subject to the armory being renovated.

State Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) said her hometown is “full of historic moments, and I believe that this speech rises to such a moment and definitely deserves this recognition.”

SJR 3 has passed the Senate, 53-0.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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