Emmett and Mamie-Till Mobley: Let the World See

A mother’s bravery. Her son’s lasting legacy. Hear their story!

Fun-loving, 14-year-old Emmett could barely wait for his Mississippi adventure. He grew up in Chicago, but in 1955 took a summer trip with his uncle and cousin to visit family in Mississippi. It was the first time his mom had to talk to him about race.

About the Exhibit:

The Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See exhibit created by the Till family, Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley Institute, Emmett Till Interpretive Center, and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis shares how a mother’s bravery and fight for justice more than six decades ago fueled the civil rights movement in America. When Emmett’s body arrived in Chicago, his mother insisted on an open casket so the world could see the ugly face of hatred and racism. Learning more about Emmett Till’s story is difficult, but we believe it’s crucial for families to understand what happened during the cruel and senseless tragedy to help people heal from prejudice and discrimination and to prevent senseless acts of violence today.  This exhibit shines a light on the hard truths that injustice, racism, and hate still exist - and points the way to how you can help transform your community by becoming a Ripple for Justice.

The Story of Emmett Till:

It all started in August of 1955. Fun-loving, Emmett Till could hardly wait to visit family in Mississippi. The 14-year-old grew up near Chicago and had never ventured far from home. After stern warnings from his mother about racism and social etiquette in the South, he took a summer trip to visit relatives in Mississippi with his great uncle and cousin, Wheeler Parker. That trip and a visit to the local store changed their lives forever. “They came out of the store and Emmett loved to make people laugh – telling people jokes. He wolf whistled right there in front of the store and we could have just died,” said Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., Emmett’s cousin. Later, the husband and brother-in-law of the woman who Emmett whistled at, abducted 14-year-old Emmett from his Great Uncle Moses’s home in the middle of the night. “I heard them coming. In walked this guy- his name was Milam,” said Parker. “He had a pistol in one hand and a flashlight in the other. I was shaking, literally shaking like a leaf on a tree.” Three days later, Till's body was discovered and retrieved from the river. His body was returned to Chicago, where his mother insisted on a public funeral service with an open casket, which was held at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ. It was later said that, "The open-coffin funeral held by Mamie Till exposed the world to more than just her son”. Her decision focused attention on not only American racism and the barbarism of lynching but also the limitations and vulnerabilities of American democracy.

Location: Northwest Gallery