Governor J.B. Pritzker signed legislation Thursday establishing July 25 as a statewide day of reflection and remembrance for Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, marking the date of Emmett’s birth in Chicago in 1941.
The signing took place at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, now designated as the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument—the same church where Till-Mobley held an open casket funeral for her 14-year-old son in 1955, exposing the brutality of his murder to the world.
“We understand here in Illinois that we cannot build a more just future if we are unwilling to confront the injustices that have been committed in our past,” Pritzker said during the ceremony.
The governor credited state legislators for advancing the measure, including Senator Mattie Hunter and House sponsor Representative Kim Du Buclet, as well as Attorney General Kwame Raoul for his work ensuring the chapter of history is remembered and honored.
Dr. Marvel McCain Parker, Project Director Preserve Roberts Temple Initiative, Village of Summit trustee, community leader and civil rights advocate, welcomed attendees and faith leaders to the church, calling the occasion momentous.
Raoul said Till-Mobley’s decision to hold an open casket funeral forced a reckoning in the country that reverberates today. “Hate crimes directed at Black people had historically been normalized in our country for over a century,” he said. “Thousands of Black people were lynched and murdered in terror campaigns intended to strike fear and maintain control.”
Reverend Wheeler Parker, Emmett Till’s cousin, shared personal memories of the 14-year-old and his family’s migration from Mississippi to Chicago. Parker said Till-Mobley asked him and his wife to carry on Emmett’s legacy before her death, a charge he has continued through decades of advocacy and testimony. “It’s people like this, the governor and Kim and the attorney general and people that got the fire in their belly to stand up for what’s right,” Parker said of the officials gathered to honor the legislation.
Pritzker said the designation ensures that the lives and legacy of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley will not be forgotten, and that their story will continue to challenge future generations.
“Every policy that advances justice, every bill signed; every monument built is in the spirit of the legacy of accountability and progress,” the governor said.