The life and legacy of Emmett Till will soon be honored with a national monument.
President Biden is signing a proclamation announcing the establishment of the “Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument.”
The murder of the 14-year-old Mississippi teen, followed by his mother’s hard work to raise awareness, helped spark the Civil Rights movement.
Emmett was killed after being accused of flirting with a white woman. Her husband and his half-brother were charged with the murder but both were acquitted by a jury of all white men.
The new monument will include two locations:
- One at the Chicago church where Emmett Till’s funeral was held in 1955.
- The other will be at the Mississippi courthouse where the now-admitted murderers were cleared of the crime.
Meanwhile, a larger-than-life statue of Emmett Till, dedicated last year, now stands boldly over the city of Greenwood, MS, not far from where Till was kidnapped. The 9-foot-tall statue also reads that Till’s sacrifice in 1955 is what inspired the Civil Rights Movement.
Click Here to Learn About the Emmett Till Interpretive Center