A New National Monument Has Been Established to Honor a Civil Rights Legacy

This week, three significant sites tied to the story of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy from Chicago who was murdered in Mississippi in 1955, along with his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, whose activism catalyzed the civil rights movement, were designated as national monuments.

The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument encompasses one location in Chicago, where Till was born and laid to rest, and two sites in Mississippi, where he was kidnapped, brutally beaten, shot, and disposed of in a river with a cotton-gin fan attached to his neck after being falsely accused of whistling at a white woman in a grocery store (a claim later admitted to be fabricated by Carolyn Bryant).

At a White House event on July 25 for the proclamation signing, Biden emphasized that this national monument serves as a crucial step for the U.S. to recognize the “truth and complete history of our country.”

“We can’t selectively choose what we want to learn. We must understand what we need to know,” Biden stated, adding, “Today, on what would have been Emmett’s 82nd birthday, we turn another page in the narrative of remembrance and healing.”

One of the designated national monument locations is Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago, where over 100,000 mourners attended Till’s funeral. His mother famously insisted that her son’s battered remains be displayed in an open casket, declaring, “The whole nation had to witness this.”

The other two sites are Graball Landing in Mississippi, where Till’s severely beaten body was discovered (identified only by a silver ring gifted by his mother), and the Tallahatchie County Second District Courthouse in Mississippi, where an all-white jury acquitted his murderers.

In a statement, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jefferies remarked that the monument “positions the life and legacy of Emmett Till among our nation’s most cherished memorials.”

National monuments, similar to national parks, are overseen by the National Park Service and are typically designated to honor sites of significant historical importance in the U.S. (others include Mount Rushmore, Plymouth Rock, and the Liberty Bell). Together, the three locations of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument contribute nearly six acres of national park land to the United States. In the forthcoming months and years, the National Park Service will focus on developing interpretation centers at each site to educate visitors about their significance.

Currently, there’s an Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner, Mississippi, the town housing the Tallahatchie County Second District Courthouse, along with a memorial sign near Graball Landing. Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago continues to function as a regular church, and visitors are welcome to attend services (though they should be mindful not to interrupt).

Unlike national parks, which require congressional approval for designation, presidents have the authority to unilaterally establish national monuments. There are over 100 national monuments across the country, and this multi-state one marks the fourth established during Biden’s administration (with more expected in the future). He has previously designated Camp Hale National Monument in Colorado, Castner Range National Monument in Texas, and Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada.

Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation, shared with the Associated Press that many of the latest park service sites (and those being considered) reflect “part of the arc of justice in this country, illustrating where we’ve been, how far we’ve come, and indeed, how far we still need to go.”