Two Faces Of A Community: Rescue And Rage

Two faces of one city: secret courage on the Underground Railroad and the fire of the 1908 Springfield riot. Hear the family story behind Lincoln’s shoes and a legacy that shaped the NAACP. Listen now and tell us what history we must preserve next? Curious how a “free” state bred both rescue and terror? We trace Illinois from safe houses to mob violence, and connect it to Dr. King’s playbook for change. Press play, then share: what story from your town needs the light? “Stay woke” wasn’t born on cable news. We unpack its roots, rise, and backlash after a tour through Springfield’s past. Stream the episode, reflect with us, and weigh in: is woke a warning, a weapon, or both?

Jan 20, 2026 0 210

Two Faces Of A Community: Rescue And Rage

Illinois holds a mirror to America’s split conscience. On one side runs the quiet bravery of the Underground Railroad, where neighbors risked prison to guide families across rivers and shadowed roads. On the other lies the 1908 Springfield riot, when rumor and rage torched Black homes and businesses two generations after emancipation. This episode follows those parallel tracks and asks why a free state could shelter freedom seekers and still turn on its Black citizens. The answer lives in geography, law, and the choices ordinary people make when fear collides with power, and it challenges us to measure freedom not on paper but in practice.

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As we celebrate the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King and his legacy. We also trace Illinois from the covert routes of the Underground Railroad to the 1908 Springfield riot, linking family memory to national change and the birth of the NAACP. We then unpack the roots and politicization of the term woke and what it reveals about power and culture.

• Underground Railroad networks across Illinois and the risks taken
• Springfield’s mixed record on race and restrictive laws
• The spark, violence, and impact of the 1908 Springfield riot
• The NAACP’s founding as a national response
• Family history of William K. Dunnegan and local memory
• Lessons on vigilance, rumor, and community action
• The origin, evolution, and politicization of the term "woke"
• How language shapes today’s cultural and policy debates

One, if you're inspired, look into local archives or historical societies where you live. Local stories like my grandpa Dunnegan are often waiting to be rediscovered

Two, read primary accounts of events like the Springfield riots so we don't forget the lessons of the past, and three, keep King's vision of beloved community in your daily life

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