June 2023: Click here to see the new 6-lesson Emmett Till curriculum “I Wanted the Whole World to See”: The Murder of Emmett Till,” developed in partnership with Facing History & Ourselves!

Racial reconciliation begins by telling the truth.

President Biden Declares Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument

On July 25, 2023, on what would have been Emmett Till’s 82nd birthday, President Biden signed an executive order creating the Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument that includes Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago where Mamie Till-Mobley held the open casket funeral for her son and two sites in Mississippi: the Tallahatchie County Courthouse and Graball Landing. The new park was unveiled in a ceremony at Roberts Temple on August 1.

“I Wanted the Whole World to See”: The Murder of Emmett Till curriculum now live!

The Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley Institute partnered with Facing History and Ourselves to develop a 6-unit lesson on the murder of Emmett Till, aimed at 9th-12th grade students. This unit delves into the history and legacy of the murder of Emmett Till, considering what we can learn from it as we work to achieve racial justice.

Emmett’s 80th Birthday Celebration in Chicago

On July 25, 2021, on what would have been Emmett’s 80th birthday, the Till Institute dedicated a commemorative plaque on the site of Emmett’s childhood home in Summit Argo, Illinois. The plaque dedication was a part of a weekend of activities that included a community gathering of people who knew and remembered Emmett and a bus tour of Summit Argo, Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, and Burr Oak Cemetery where Emmett is buried and Mrs. Till-Mobley is entombed. The property was purchased with a grant from the State of Illinois, and the marker was purchased by the Mamie Till-Mobley Estate.

The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act was Signed Into Law on March 29, 2022

Reverend Wheeler Parker, Emmett Till's cousin and best friend, and last living witness to Till's abduction in 1955, and his wife, Dr. Marvel Parker, Executive Director of the Till Institute, were invited to the White House by President Biden.

Take a 3D walkthrough of the traveling exhibit Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See, co-sponsored by the Till Institute, the Emmett Till Interpretive Center, and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

“Emmett Till’s 1955 lynching is the first Black Lives Matter story.”

— Christopher D'Angelo Benson, Till Institute Board President

 

Without question, we cannot begin to meet the future challenges of a multicultural democracy without understanding how we arrived at this point in our nation’s development.  The current national push for racial reconciliation must be seen in an historical and meaningful context. The challenge is for people—particularly young people—to become involved in critical consideration of social issues and robust discussion that ultimately will lead to a more equitable and inclusive society. At the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute, we believe people must be provided a reason for that engagement through balanced, critical discourse that can lead to enlightened participation.  

We are dedicated to meeting the challenge through development of educational initiatives, offering scholarships, funding the work of research fellows, developing public programming, and publishing.  Our programmatic efforts are best understood by a summary of the three pillars of our organization: Memory, Meaning, Movement.

Memory

The Till Institute seeks to discover and reveal the truth. Accordingly, the Institute recognizes the centrality of historical narrative in developing a full appreciation of our contemporary moment, which in turn is important in charting a course forward. Sadly, the story of Emmett Till has been distorted over the years. Our view is that you cannot understand the challenges we face today on the cusp of a new demographic reality without understanding the social challenges we confronted in the latter half of the 20th century. You cannot understand those challenges without understanding the Civil Rights Movement. And you cannot begin to understand the Civil Rights Movement without knowing the story of Emmett Till, whose 1955 lynching helped to galvanize the movement. That is why a major focus of the Till Institute is to share the story of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley to illustrate both the sacrifice and the commitment that characterized the modern Civil Rights Movement. In this effort, we recognize the great need to correct all of the misreporting of this story over the years. When that misreporting keeps getting repeated, it seems as if it is the truth. We feel a desperate need to change this and reveal the truth. In the process, we believe we can help young people develop a keen sense of media literacy and critical thinking.

 

Meaning

Context is vitally important in understanding the truth we want to reveal. This context addresses the question, “Why?” That question is addressed with a full examination of the structures of social difference in our society. Why was Emmett Till lynched? Why were only two people arrested and put on trial for his murder? Why did were they let off? It is, after all, the structure of our society that resulted in the denial of justice in the brutal 1955 lynching of Emmett Till. It is through an exploration of the context of this story that we can begin to appreciate the continuation of racial discrimination in the 21st century.

Movement

We are committed to continuing the legacy of Mamie Till-Mobley. She dedicated her life to education, and we plan to support the goals of that dedication. The educational outcome we seek to achieve is to help young people become successful and engaged citizens as they meet the challenges of a multicultural democratic society. To achieve this goal, we must work on multiple levels. This begins with a true account of history. We continue with an exploration of personal value so that each young person we touch will discover their unique gift and purpose in our society. This includes helping young people—and especially young men of color—develop the coping skills they desperately need to avoid destructive confrontation. In this regard, equipping them with the vocabulary of inclusion will help each one teach one. Finally, all of this will come together by instilling in young people a sense of commitment to participation. From discourse to policymaking. All this is consistent with the lifelong work of Mamie Till-Mobley.

 
 

“Emmett Till was my George Floyd. He was my Rayshard Brooks, Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor.”

— Congressman John Lewis