The city of Springfield will be dedicating a historical marker on Park Central Square about the 1906 lynching of three black men.

The dedication of the marker will include a “community remembrance” that is aimed to create “greater awareness and understanding” of the incident 113 years ago in downtown Springfield.

“We hope the remembrance we are planning will prompt meaningful conversations in our community which acknowledge injustices and lead to reconciliation and healing,” Mayor Ken McClure said in a statement.

The ceremony is being organized by the Springfield Community Remembrance Coalition in collaboration with the Equal Justice Initiative. EJI is going into communities across the nation to have historical markers placed at the sites of lynchings.

Missouri State University Chief Diversity Officer Wes Pratt says the move is necessary for the city.

“No matter how difficult, it is important that we own our city’s history and grow from that experience to create a more inclusive and just community,” Pratt said in a statement.

The dedication will take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 and is open to the public. Missouri State professor and community activist Lyle Foster will be the keynote speaker at the ceremony.

The Springfield Community Remembrance Coalition consists of: Lawrence Anderson, Teresa Bledsoe, Cheryl Clay, Lyle Foster, Jason Gage, Hope Gallamore, Yvania Garcia-Pusateri, Joan Gentry, Melissa Haase, Stephen Hall, Jack and Carolyn Hembree, Monica Horton, Ken McClure, Wes Pratt, Allison Pilley, Cora Scott and John Sellars.