Illinois designates July 25 as Emmett Till Day

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Governor JB Pritzker signed a state law designating July 25th as Emmett Till Day in Illinois.

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The bill signing took place at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, the same church where Till's funeral was held.

Mamie Till-Mobley held a public, open-casket funeral for her 14-year-old son after he was brutally lynched and killed by two white men in Mississippi.

The tragedy helped galvanize support of the civil rights cause across the United States.

Emmett Till was born in Chicago on July 25, 1941. He grew up in Summit, and later on the city's South Side.

"This legislation ensures that Emmett Till and his mother Mamie Till-Mobley will never be forgotten, their legacy will continue to challenge us to be better, and their example will continue to inspire us to build a state and a nation that lives up to its highest ideals," Pritzker said.

SEE ALSO | US releases Emmett Till investigation records ahead of 70th anniversary of Chicago teen's killing