The Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner has been designated as an official philanthropic and educational partner of the Emmett Till and Mabie Till-Mobley National Monument.
President Joe Biden established the monument on July 25, 2023 – what would have been the 80th birthday of the Black civil rights icon who was tortured and murdered by two white men in Mississippi in 1955. The National Park Service added Till’s interpretive center as a partner of the monument on Wednesday.
“We are honored to partner with the National Park Service. As official interpreters for the National Monument, we are committed to the complete and accurate telling of Emmett Till and Mamie Till Mobley’s history, and to ensuring the public understands that the racism and anti-Black violence that caused Emmett Till’s death still exists today,” Patrick Weems, the executive director of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center, said.
“The creation of this National Monument was made possible by decades of local activism and ETIC will continue to center local voices and community organizations in this next phase of an ongoing effort to bring attention, resources, and visitors to these major historical sites here in Mississippi,”
Over six decades ago, Till was staying with relatives in the small town of Money when he was accused of whistling at Carolyn Bryant Donham, a white woman. When told of Till’s purported actions, Donham’s husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother, J.W. Milam, beat and tortured the teen until he died from a gunshot to the head.
The young man’s death has fueled a civil rights movement that has lasted for decades with his renewed case being closed once again in December 2021, leaving Donham free of any charges. Donham went on to pass away from a battle with cancer in April 2023.
