Time Bomb: Mississippi Exposed and the Full Story of Emmett Till was published by the Regional Council of Negro Leadership under Dr. T. R. M. Howard. It helped bring national attention to the Till case and played an important role in mobilizing early civil rights activism in MS and beyond.

Rev. Jesse Jackson called the Tallahatchie River “the big bang of the civil rights movement.” Listen to ETIC Executive Director Patrick Weems explain how in this clip from Hanson Hosein’s “The Barn Doesn’t Lie,” which you can watch in full online.

A reminder that the MS Sickle Cell Foundation’s annual 5K Walk/Run and Health Fair starts at 9 AM this Saturday (Apr. 25) at West Tallahatchie High School. This event brings folks together to raise awareness, provide health resources, and offer hope. Come support the community!

Dr. Elizabeth Alexander discusses the Mellon Foundation’s multimillion-dollar Monuments Project and the complex weave of memorials, memory, history, and records of racial violence such as the magazine photos of Emmett Till. Listen to the Time Sensitive podcast episode at: shorturl.at/ZHgNa

For National Poetry Month, revisit Patricia Smith’s virtual reading from Incendiary Art and her discussion of the Till story’s continued resonance. Watch the full presentation at vimeo.com/458644881. Join us in congratulating @poetpatriciasmith.bsky.social on her 2025 National Book Award in Poetry!

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was the only youth-led civil rights organization in the US. Members were part of the Emmett Till Generation, those motivated by Emmett’s murder to work toward change. Visit the SNCC Digital Gateway (snccdigital.org) to learn more!

The National Park Friends Alliance recently featured us in a member spotlight. Read the full article covering our organization and our accomplishments at: bit.ly/ETICatNPFA

The Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center in Glendora will be hosting a youth summit in Greenwood, MS, on April 16-18 to examine the many challenges facing today’s youth and develop strategies to meet their needs. Find more info and registration at: emmett-till-ethic.org/upcoming-eve...

Less than a week left to visit our traveling exhibit, ‘Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See’, at Muncie’s Minnetrista Museum & Gardens. The exhibit closes Apr. 12 and then heads to SPLC’s Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery for a run of late April through August.

The Emmett Till Interpretive Center will be closed April 3 and 4. Staff will be unavailable to provide tours of the Tallahatchie County Courthouse. The Till National Monument will be open as normal.

Emmett Till has been an important figure in American poetry for decades. Terrance Hayes curated a selection of poems on Emmett Till. You can read Hayes’s introduction and the Till poetry on the Poetry Society of America’s website at: poetrysociety.org/poems-essays...

The MS Sickle Cell Foundation’s annual 5K Walk/Run and Health Fair starts at 9 AM on Apr. 25 at West Tallahatchie High School. Dedicated to the late DeMarius Washington, this event brings folks together to raise awareness, provide health resources, and offer hope. Come support the community!

An Urbana High student wrote the following after a recent ETIC tour: “Seeing the full extent to which the system failed the Till family every step of the way, understanding the bravery of their actions in the face of such injustice…is key to moving forward with social justice of any kind today.”

Our donor Gisela Chodos supports us because of a shared vision of “‘promoting racial healing and reconciliation,’ deeply honoring the spirits of Emmett and Mamie while giving ongoing meaning to their pain as well as their courage.” Contact us if you’d like to be featured in a “My Why” post!

You can watch MS Public Broadcasting’s documentary on Medgar Evers online (shorturl.at/MurVB) or catch it at the various screenings across the state brought to you by the MS Humanities Council, the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute, and MPB. See the event schedule: shorturl.at/Xemsj

On this March 21 in 2015, the Tallahatchie County Courthouse opened the restored courtroom to the public, returning the interior to its appearance during the Emmett Till trial. The courthouse was restored through the support of NPS, MDAH, and other generous donors.

In honor of World Storytelling Day (Mar. 20), we lift up the sacred stories of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley. All of us must reckon with the past so that we can build a better future together. We are grateful to everyone who helps us preserve their stories.

In our newsletter, Dr. Brandon Erby from the University of Kentucky explores the connections between the Till story and Kentucky, focusing on Dr. T.R.M. Howard, the Louisville Defender, and the Emmett Till generation. Sign up so you don’t miss our latest news! www.emmett-till.org/newsletter

The Emmett Till Interpretive Center opened on Mar. 15, 2015. The museum space displayed an exhibit on the Till trial, and staff continued to offer tours of the Tallahatchie County Courthouse. The building became the Till Monument’s Visitor Center in 2025, and ETIC moved elsewhere on Sumner Square.

Organized by ETIC and Tallahatchie Rising, the annual teacher supply drive is accepting donations of school supplies for local students. The drive runs now through August. See the flyer for more info. Thank you for your support!

A recent visitor to the Till National Monument wrote this note: “I’ve come to Mississippi specifically to visit and pay honor to the Medgar Evers and Emmett Till NPS sites. [...] I thank and celebrate the subjects of the sites and the caretakers of them.” Thank you for facing history’s truth.

On this day in 2007, the Tallahatchie County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places for architectural significance, later amended for its role in the trial for Emmett Till’s murder. Read more at MDAH: www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/Public/prop....

We honor Mamie Till-Mobley this Women’s History Month. ETIC collected 300 wishes last year for her 104th birthday. One student wrote, “Your work as an educator and activist continues to inspire those of us who seek to learn, to lead, and to lift others through compassion and courage."

We lift up Jermarlius "Jay" Rushing, our Youth Engagement Coordinator. Jay has played a key role in developing the Till curriculum, the Youth Advisory Council, and various workshops. Jay, we see you and want the world to see you and the work you’ve done!

Clotye Murdock Larsson was the only woman covering the Till trial for Ebony, working alongside fellow reporters Simeon Booker and Moses Newson and photographer David Jackson. She would revisit the Till story in writing several times over the course of her life.

Mary Lapides on supporting ETIC: “When I first learned that the murder of Emmett Till took place…only 90 miles from where I grew up in Memphis, I was shocked. [...] It is imperative that we support the work of preserving history and creating safe spaces to learn from our past.”

Last call to purchase 70th anniversary commemoration merchandise! ETIC's online shop closes on February 28th, so place your orders before then. All proceeds support our work. Visit emmett-till.myshopify.com and see what’s in stock.

This Black History Month we lift up Benjamin Saulsberry, our Director of Public Engagement & Museum Education. He has captivated audiences across MS and the US through panels, media features, and trainings. Benjamin, we see you and want the world to see you and the work you’ve done!

Emmett’s great uncle Moses Wright pointed out Emmett’s killers under testimony, risking his life by violating the norms of the Jim Crow South. The moment was captured by Ernest Withers in what Mamie Till-Mobley called “the single most significant photograph of the entire trial.”

In 2025, - We purchased the barn where Emmett was lynched. - We held a commemoration event to honor the 70th anniversary of Emmett's murder. - We hosted the "Remembering Emmett" panel series. - We led tours of the courthouse. Thank you for your support. See our 2025 report at bit.ly/3ZGjq1g.

This Black History Month we lift up Venita Halbert, our Community Engagement Coordinator. She has been instrumental in planning and coordinating the annual memorial service at the seed barn, plus other community events. We see you, Venita, and want the world to see you and the work you’ve done!

We’re grateful the Leflore Academy Public Charter School from Greenwood was able to take their tour of ETIC and the historic courthouse after the winter storm forced us to reschedule. Many said they didn’t know about the Emmett Till story until then, let alone that it had happened in their backyard.

Donor Ron Pollack on supporting ETIC: “My Mississippi movement experiences were the most transformative aspects of my life, both personally and professionally. My enthusiasm about helping the Emmett Till Interpretive Center, therefore, brings me fully back to the very core of my life!”

Last call to purchase 70th Anniversary Commemoration merchandise! All proceeds support our work. Visit emmett-till.myshopify.com and see what's in stock. The store will close on the 28th.

Moses Newson covered important civil rights stories over the course of his journalism career, including the Till trial, Freedom Summer, and the desegregation efforts in Little Rock. In 2014, he was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.

Last chance to order merchandise from the 70th anniversary commemoration events through emmett-till.myshopify.com closing this month. Place your orders by Feb. 28! Check out the T-shirts, tote bags, and tumblers we have in stock. All proceeds support our organization. Thank you for your support.

"Black history is American history. Black History Month offers an opportunity to reflect on the people and events that have shaped our nation—and to recommit to telling those stories with honesty and care." - Patrick Weems, Executive Director, Emmett Till Interpretive Center

Simeon Booker was instrumental in bringing the Till tragedy to national attention through his award-winning journalism. He devoted two chapters of his 2013 book, Shocking the Conscience, to the Till story.

Our award-winning traveling exhibit, Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See, has officially opened at Minnetrista Museum & Gardens in Muncie, Indiana! The final date to visit is April 12. Visit minnetrista.net to plan your visit!

Black history is American history. Black History Month offers an opportunity to reflect on the people and events that have shaped our nation—and to recommit to telling those stories with honesty and care. The Emmett Till Interpretive Center exists to steward one of these essential histories.

The Emmett Till Interpretive Center and the Till National Monument remain closed. We expect to reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

​The Emmett Till Interpretive Center and the Till National Monument are currently without power, and conditions in Sumner are dangerous. ETIC and the Monument will be closed until power is restored. We will announce when operations resume on our social media channels.

The Emmett Till Interpretive Center and Till National Monument will be closed on Saturday, Jan. 24th, due to the expected severe weather conditions.

​Hours for the Emmett Till Interpretive Center may differ from normal operations on Saturday, January 24, on account of the impending winter storm. Be safe out there!

A video by Hanson Hosein features ETIC’s Patrick Weems, Jessie Jaynes, and Willie Williams and shows “how a small town in the Deep South chooses to reconcile with its past is a harbinger for whether a nation can rediscover common cause for the sake of its future.” Watch the film at bit.ly/49nLkor.

Starting on January 24th, the award-winning exhibit, Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See, will visit the Minnetrista Museum & Gardens in Indiana. The exhibit, designed for ages 10 and up, tells the stories of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley and the work to preserve their legacies.

Join us at 1985 Webb-Sumner Road in Sumner this Saturday at 11 AM for the community baby shower where new and expecting parents can get diapers and baby supplies. Donations are welcome. Hosted in partnership with Delta Bloom and Tallahatchie Rising.

In 2025 we asked for your support of our 70 for 70 campaign. Thanks to your generosity, we exceeded our goal. We are deeply grateful. Your contributions allow us to continue lifting up the stories of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley so that we may all learn from the past and build a better future.

We are asking HBCUs to show join our College Collective campaign. Participating institutions will receive recognition and be entered into a drawing to bring Wright Thompson, bestselling author of The Barn, to campus. Learn more at www.emmett-till.org/college-collective.

We are about three-quarters of the way to our $50,000 goal for the end-of-year 70 for 70 campaign. There is still time to join us and help us reach our goal! Donate before it is too late at www.emmett-till.org/70for70.