Till
The Emmett Till Legacy Foundation and the Emmett Till Interpretive Center are planning events this weekend to commemorate the life and death of the youth who was brutally murdered 65 years ago.
Till, a Black 14-year-old from Chicago, was slain after whistling at a white woman at Bryant Grocery and Meat Market in Money. Two men were acquitted by an all-white jury in his death but later admitted in a magazine interview that they had killed him. Till’s death is often credited with spurring the civil rights movement.
The foundation is hosting the “Emmett Till 65 Year Anniversary Commemoration Weekend” from Thursday through Sunday to honor the “life, death and legacy of Emmett Louis Till.”
Events will be held in Jackson, Leflore County and elsewhere in the state.
On Thursday, there will be a panel discussion with prominent young activist voices and a nonpartisan candidate forum, made available via Zoom. In Jackson on Friday, there will be a candlelight vigil, a balloon release and a wreath presentation.
The film “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till” will be screened Friday, and a virtual discussion, accessible by Zoom and Facebook Live, will be held featuring the filmmakers, activists and Till family members.
There also will be a peaceful protest march in Jackson Saturday and a community food drive and worship services Sunday.
The group will hold a full-day excursion Saturday with a “solidarity caravan.” This is a 2½-hour ride throughout the Delta that will make various stops in Leflore and Tallahatchie counties. It will also stop at the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner.
Those unable to make any of these events are encouraged by the organizers to wear black and white attire and observe a moment of silence at noon Friday in memory of “all of those who have lost their lives to hate, racism and violence.”
The foundation has modified the event to follow public safety guidelines. All in-person gatherings are limited to groups of 10 people indoors and 20 people outdoors, with social distancing of 6 feet of separation between persons who do not live in the same household.
Face coverings are required.
All events involved in the weekend can be found at the “Emmett Till 65 Year Anniversary Commemoration Weekend” Facebook Event page.
Additionally, the Emmett Till Interpretive Center will host its town commemorative event.
“Summit: Honoring the 65th Anniversary of the Murder of Emmet Till” will include various digital discussions on Friday.
“This is going to be a series of panel discussions on Emmett Till, justice and memorialization,” said Benjamin Saulsberry, museum director.
Panelists throughout the day will include the Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., a cousin of Emmett Till’s; Vangela Wade, president and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Justice; Chris Benson, co-author of the autobiography of Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley; Dr. Dave Tell, author of the book “Remembering Emmett Till”; Maisie Brown, organizer of the Jackson Black Lives Matter march; and more.
The event will also feature a reading by Mississippi author Kiese Laymon, who won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction for the book “Heavy.”
All information regarding Friday’s panels can be found at the “Summit on the 65th Anniversary of the Murder of Emmett Till” Facebook Event page.
• Contact Adam Bakst at 581-7233 or abakst@gwcommonwealth.com. Twitter: @AdamBakst_GWCW
