The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument became the country’s 425th national park July 25, on the 82nd anniversary of Till’s birth, as President Joe Biden established the park through proclamation during a White House ceremony. However, the pains of this racial crime still run deep because the known killers of the teenage Black youth were never charged.
"Insisting on an open caset [sic] — casket for her murdered and, I might add, maimed and mutilated son. Fourteen years old. Fourteen years old. She said, “Let the people see what I’ve seen.” “Let the people see what I have seen," said President Biden during an emotional speech before signing the proclmation.
"My God, all of us who have lost children in other ways, how hard it is even to close the casket or keep it open or to — what a debate it is."
"The story of Emmett Till and the incredible bravery of Mamie Till-Mobley helped fuel the movement for civil rights in America, and their stories continue to inspire our collective fight for justice," said Vice-President Kamala Harris. "Our history as a nation is born of tragedy and triumph, of struggle and success. That is who we are. And as people who love our country, as patriots, we know that we must remember and teach our full history, even when it is painful — especially when it is painful."
Emmett Till was an African American teenager who grew up in Chicago and had relatives in the Mississippi Delta. At 14, he visited Mississippi on vacation in August 1955. He was kidnapped, tortured and killed by white men after being accused of whistling at and making sexual advances toward a white woman.
His mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, was an active member of the Chicago community with an especially close relationship with her son and who became a civil rights icon after his death. She quickly sought justice for her child, demanding his casket be transported home and unsealed, and then insisting his mangled corpse be shown to the world.
Till-Mobley devoted the rest of her life to seeking justice for her son, speaking publicly on issues of racism, educating children and comforting other grieving families. Her long journey was filled with setbacks, but her determination and resilience saw her through. She died in 2003.