By Gail H.M. Brown, Ph.D.,
Contributing Writer,
Official
Seventy years after Emmett Till’s 1955 murder, the Emmett Till Interpretive Center (ETIC) partnered with Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) for a two-day observance on campus.
The commemoration began Thursday, Aug. 28, with “Take Me Back: A Theatrical Journey of Unsettling Memories,” performed by Jackson State University’s MADDRAMA troupe. Directed by Dr. Mark Henderson, the production captivated audiences by intertwining the Till story with other civil rights events, including Mamie Till Mobley’s cautionary advice to her son Emmett.
Ruchawn Williams, Editor-in-Chief of the Delta Devils Gazette, praised the performance, saying, “It was a great tribute to the amazing historical figures who paved the way for the Civil Rights Movement.”
Other performances and presentations during the commemoration included a poem by C. Liegh McInnis and a tribute from Dr. Edelia J. Carthan, a cousin of Mamie Till-Mobley. A Clinton High School student artist, Kynadie Young Batteast, was recognized for her winning creative artwork of Till, featuring a background print of the many professions in life he could have had if he had not been murdered.
Jessie Jaynes-Diming, and ETIC Executive Director Patrick Weems
Friday’s sessions included greetings from MVSU President Dr. Jerryl Briggs and ETIC Executive Director Patrick Weems, followed by panels titled “A Conversation with the Emmett Till Generation,” “Legacies of the Till Story,” and “Voices of Today’s Youth.”
Reena Evers-Everett, daughter of Medgar Evers, described the observance as “powerful!” noting her father’s involvement in Till’s investigation: “We are still seeking total justice no matter what,” she added. She served on the “Legacies of the Till Story” panel.
Friday evening activities featured a candlelight vigil at the Emmett Till statue in Greenwood, Miss.
Saturday, Aug. 30, a memorial and wreath-laying occurred at the barn site in Drew, Miss. Till’s cousin, Rev. Dr. Wheeler Parker, Jr., who witnessed the abduction in 1955, was also in town for the three-day commemoration.
The ETIC-MVSU partnership also hosted the exhibition “Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See” in MVSU’s James Herbert White Library, that will run through Sept. 21. Viewing is free. Call the library at (662) 254-3500 to schedule a visit.
“We’ve done events like this here in the Mississippi Delta for a number of years, and this is by far the best,” Weems remarked, expressing hope for continued collaborations with MVSU.
In a recent thank-you letter to in-person or online participants, ETIC Chief Program Officer Dr. Daphne Chamberlain shared these sentiments: “It is with a full heart that I write on behalf of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center to thank each of you for joining us for the 70th anniversary commemoration events held in the Mississippi Delta, August 28-30, 2025. We are extremely grateful to have had you here, and we hope you have returned safely to the many areas of the country…”
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