A Symbolic Act Against Resurgent Racism
US President Joe Biden is set to designate a new national monument on Tuesday to memorialize the tragic lynching of Emmett Till in the 1950s, with the White House framing it as part of the fight against resurgent racism. The monument will honor the 14-year-old Black boy who was tortured and murdered by white men in 1955 after allegedly whistling at a white shopkeeper’s wife in Mississippi. The memorial will also commemorate Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, an activist credited with sparking the US civil rights movement.
Protecting the Story of Emmett Till
The new national monument will protect sites that tell the story of Emmett Till’s too-short life, his racially-motivated murder, the unjust acquittal of his murderers, and the activism of his mother, according to the White House. President Biden will unveil the memorial proclamation in the ornate Indian Treaty Room at the White House, with Wheeler Parker, the last surviving witness to Till’s fatal abduction, present at the event. Parker, Till’s best friend and cousin, witnessed the tragic incident when he was 16 years old.
Historic Sites to be Preserved
Biden’s proclamation will preserve three historic sites in Illinois and Mississippi. One of the sites is the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago, where Mamie Till-Mobley insisted on an open casket at her son’s funeral, allowing the public and press to see the boy’s disfigured body, which sparked widespread outrage. The second site is the Tallahatchie courthouse in Mississippi, where an all-white jury acquitted the men accused of Till’s murder, though they later admitted their guilt. The third location is the spot on the Tallahatchie River where Till’s battered body was found, though signs commemorating the event have been repeatedly vandalized over the years.
Challenging History Amid Racist Sentiment
Biden’s move to honor Emmett Till’s memory comes as accusations are made against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a leading Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential race, for attempting to minimize the history of past racism in his state’s school curriculum. DeSantis has been critical of “woke” left-wing values and has faced criticism for comments minimizing the experiences of enslaved individuals. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized DeSantis’s remarks, emphasizing the importance of an honest account of America’s history, including the broader story of American Black oppression and survival, which the Emmett Till monument aims to address.
SOURCE: Ref Image from The Times Malta
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