Emmett Till, mother honored in Chicago area with gift from Mississippi

ALSIP, Ill. (WLS) -- Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, were honored Thursday in the Chicago area with a gift from the people of Mississippi.

Emmett Till's body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi 68 years ago after he was kidnapped, tortured and killed for being accused of making a remark some white residents considered inappropriate to a cashier in Money, Mississippi.

No one was ever convicted, but Till-Mobley invited the public to see her son's body at the funeral, and photos were published.

The outrage and injustice sparked an even more fervent civil rights movement.

"I'm always bombarded with the way he suffered; I can see Mamie standing at that casket with that grimace on her face. She said, let the world see, but she had her eyes closed at that time," Emmett Till's cousin Wheeler Parker said.

On Thursday, flowers sent on behalf of the people of Mississippi were placed to honor the Tills' memory and legacy at Burr Oak Cemetery.

"In America, the wheels of justice grind, but they grind very slow, so we appreciate all that's been done and being done in the name of Emmett Till," Parker said.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden declared three sites national monuments to the Tills.

"This is the sign of change that is and will continue to happen; it's a beacon of hope and a sign of love," said Teri Gage, with the National Park Service.

The flowers were added to the mementos and offerings from those who knew them and those who know their story

The Chicago site chosen as a national monument is Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, which hosted the open casket funeral for Emmett Till. Plans are underway to restore that church and honor the Tills' legacy.