Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See

About the exhibit

This exhibit tells the story of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, and challenges visitors to make a ripple for justice in their own communities. The exhibit focuses on five key stories that emerged out of this tragedy.

Exhibit messages:

• Mamie Till-Mobley’s insistence that the world join her in bearing witness to the atrocities inflicted upon her son has continued to have a rippling effect inspiring positive action for change, from the Civil Rights movement through today.
• By bringing to light the violence that happened to Emmett Till- and the ongoing violence to historical markers that honor his life- we call people to action to create communities committed to racial healing.

Download the One Sheet

Exhibit areas

Emmett’s personal story

When first entering the exhibit, visitors will learn about Emmett’s life in Chicago and what activities he enjoyed as a young child. After asking to visit family in Mississippi during the summer of 1955, his mother, Mamie, explained to him how life is different there than what he was accustomed to in Chicago. Visitors will learn what happened to Emmett during that visit and how, after whistling at a White woman outside of a local store, he was abducted from his great uncle Moses’ home, tortured, and murdered. Information about the trial of Emmett Till’s murderers is also presented. The accused were tried and found not guilty in just 67 minutes by an all-White, all-male jury—despite eyewitness testimony from Emmett’s great uncle, Moses Wright. His murderers later confessed and were paid $4,000 for their story laced with lies by Look magazine.

How the brave actions of Emmett’s mom, Mamie Till-Mobley, helped fuel the civil rights movement

“Let the world see what they did to my boy” are the words spoken by Mamie Till-Mobley who insisted upon an open-casket funeral for Emmett. Visitors will learn how Mamie had to fight to get Emmett’s body returned to Chicago and why it was important to her that his body be shown. Visitors will also see how Emmett’s story was shared in the media and how his murder and Mamie’s response helped motivate others to fight for social justice and civil rights.

How a community and family worked to keep Emmett’s memory alive

Information is shared about how Tallahatchie County community leaders and residents came together to begin the process of healing and reconciliation with the Till family. Visitors will see how this model of racial healing and resilience provides a path to healing for all of us.

How a vandalized historical marker connects to us today

A key artifact included in the exhibit is a roadside plaque commemorating the site where Emmett’s body may have been recovered from the Tallahatchie River. The sign featured in the exhibit made headlines after a group of students from the University of Mississippi posed in front of it with rifles and then posted their photo on Instagram in March of 2019. The signs at this particular spot have been repeatedly vandalized and have been replaced three times. The fourth sign installed is bulletproof and equipped with security cameras and alarms. This demonstrates the ongoing challenges faced by many communities as they strive to tell the truth about our nation’s difficult history of racism. The sign is displayed in conjunction with a powerful sound and light show that tells Emmett’s story and challenges visitors to think about what they can do in their own communities.

Call to action: how we can commit to social justice in our own communities

Visitors are challenged to commit to racial healing and social justice in their own communities and are asked to join Mamie’s powerful “ripple for justice.” Through interactive touchscreens, guests can be a part of positive change in their community by pledging to commit to continuing Mamie’s Ripple for Justice.

Schedule

Rental Information

• Target age: 10+
• Space Requirements: minimum 1,500 square feet
• Participation fee (including rental and ops): $55,000 + inbound shipping
• Exhibit virtual tour: www.emmetttillexhibit.org

Contact us

To book this exhibit or to learn more, contact Jen Crespo, Traveling Exhibits Sales Coordinator, at JCrespo@childrensmuseum.org.