Amid racial riots in Ferguson, Springfield residents have looked to their own community to gauge the culture locally. While the community has a rich history of racial tensions, Glendale students find positive points to celebrate. Across the country states have taken measures to eliminate racial prejudice. Some have been more radical, trying to quickly smother racial tension before the 21st century, but other states have taken more time. Missouri is historically considered a border state. During the American Civil War, Missouri was as split as the Northern and Southern states themselves, supplying weapons, men, generals, and supplies to both sides. This indecisiveness has not changed and is reflected in the lack of diversity in Missouri and Springfield, the largest town in the southern part of the state. The racial tensions in Springfield culminated in 1906 with lynchings that took place in Springfield Town Square. These roots — like those of hundreds of lynchings around the country — grew in racism, white supremacy, and economic tension. Springfield was a very different place in 1906, with its estimated 25,000 inhabitants living in a growing city near present-day Grand and Kearney streets, Kansas Expressway, and National Avenue. Springfield served as a regional point for business where people came to catch up on news, shop, go to church, and use the bank. They interacted with African Americans every time they went into town, and shopped in black-owned businesses. Many prominent people in this region- doctors, lawyers, ministers, police- were black. That changed after the 1906 lynchings, and forever changed the racial makeup of Southwest Missouri. In the late 1800s public hangings were accepted and a common form of legal execution. Before 1897, more whites were lynched than blacks, but that soon changed. This is because around this time racial tensions were growing and by the turn of the 20th century, whole black populations were fleeing from Midwest settlements. This is what happened here in Springfield during the 1906 lynchings. Throngs of the black population left and never returned. Those that stayed or those that moved in after, stuck together. This is seen in present-day Springfield. “I graduated from Central High School,” said Cheryl Clay, president of the Springfield chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). “When I went to that school and lived in that area. The north side of town was mainly where the African American people lived. There was, and still is, a very vibrant black community, so [all of the African American kids] went to Central High School. Glendale High School was the newest high school being built then and that’s where all the other people ran to so their kids could go to Glendale and not be exposed to a black population.” Students from different high schools notice how diverse others are, and often wonder why some have a bigger minority population than others. “If you look at Central [High School], they are just a very diverse school, and Glendale and this side of town isn’t,” said Kennedy Graves, Glendale senior. This separation of race and the certain placement of families continue, however diversity has steadily grown in Springfield, as has racial tolerance. “It’s surprising to me now that there are children of color that go to Glendale, and it always amazes me because back in the day none went out there, and none were supposed to go out there,” said Clay. Different students at Glendale have had different experiences when it comes to racial tolerance at school and around Springfield. Many agree that Glendale is welcoming to different races, and the white students even wish for more diversity, but they also agree that random strangers in town are different, and are passively but actively racist. “Springfield is very set in its own ways, and there are a lot more white people, but it’s okay,” said Aungelique Clark, sophomore. “I had one experience where I was with my sisters driving around town and we were at a stoplight. This guy just rolled down this window and spit on our car. So the prejudice is still here in Springfield by far, but it has toned down a lot. I believe there is a slight prejudice at Glendale but it’s not big enough for it to be a huge problem. … I’ve learned to live with it.” The Springfield Public School District has addressed these prejudice problems in some ways, like now stating in the district’s bullying policy that bullying “may include but is not limited to: physical actions, including violence, gestures, theft, or damaging property; oral or written taunts, including name-calling, put-downs, extortion, or threats; or threats of retaliation for reporting such acts.” “I think for the most part Springfield is a welcoming community … over the years it’s improved some.” Clay said. “Does it still need to improve? Yes. I know in some of our high schools we still have a lot of prejudice and bias things that go on in those schools with other students because they’ve never been exposed to a person of color so they only know of what they’ve heard at home. Some students tend to offend others through subtle jokes, instead of point blank and bluntly calling someone a name. “I hear jokes, like ethnicity jokes that people say in the hallways,” said Zach Smalling, junior. “That’s about it, from what I’ve seen. I don’t see any physical violence or one-on-one confrontations. Most of the time these jokes really offend some people though, but they just shrug it off, like ‘Hey stop’ or something, and they deal with it.” Several of the students replied with disgust to questions about experiences with racial prejudice. “I think people who cause these situations are ignorant,” said Leeajiah Harvard, freshman at Glendale High School. “I mean, we’re all pretty much the same inside and out. Bigger cities I’ve been to are more experienced and cultured when it comes to different races but Springfield is still growing.” Although racist tension in Springfield has toned down, Springfield still has room to grow. “When you first look at someone, you get an initial impression, but that’s not who they really are. So you really have to give someone a chance and talk to them. Give everyone a chance, and don’t prejudge anyone, no matter what race you are,” said Clay.

Historical reports from and April 14, 2006, News-Leader story by Jenny Fillmer contributed to this article.