New Chicago exhibit shows what Emmet Till's life would have looked like had murder not happened
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A new exhibit in Chicago uses modern images to explore what Emmett Till's life might have been had he not been killed in a racially motivated murder in 1955.
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The exhibit is titled "If Emmett Till Lived" at the at the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College.
The show features contributions from 140 artists and invites visitors to consider the possibilities lost with Till's death.
"This collective represents us all. We live for Emmett Till, and so many of us still want to change, to honor what his unjust killing required us to see about the work we still have to endure and to achieve," said curator Sarah Elizabeth Lewis.
Artist Dawoud Bey said the exhibit underscores the importance of remembering history and those connected to it.
"We lose something if we don't remember history, and we lose something if we don't fully engage with and celebrate those like Emmett Till who were a part of that history," Bey said.
Till, a Chicago teen, was visiting Money, Mississippi, with his cousin, Wheeler Parker, in 1955 when he was taken in his sleep after what was perceived as an inappropriate interaction with a White woman.
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Till was tortured, and his body was found days later in the Tallahatchie River.
Parker, who is also a co-curator of the exhibit, said he remains committed to sharing his cousin's story.
"I'm realizing how important it is to tell it, because somebody believe you. Somebody, you could help somebody believe you," Parker said.
The exhibit encourages visitors to consider the life Till might have led if he had the opportunity to reach adulthood.
Parker said efforts such as the exhibit bring Till's story to the present.
"Things like this helps. Believe me, it helps reach a lot of people. Very good. Very good. They can't be sidetracked. Can't be stopped," he said.
Parker said he does not tire of speaking about Emmett Till, though he continues to grieve and wishes his cousin were still alive.
The exhibit opens at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Museum of Contemporary Photography on Michigan Avenue and will remain on display through Dec. 19.
