From The Boston Globe · · 1m 10s
What if Emmett Till lived?
Harvard professor Sarah Lewis explores Emmett Till's potential life through a book and Chicago exhibit.
In brief
Harvard professor Sarah Lewis explores Emmett Till's potential life through a book and Chicago exhibit. Harvard professor Sarah Lewis imagines Emmett Till's life if he had survived his 1955 murder, creating a book and Chicago exhibit to spark dialogue about civil rights history. Originally reported by The Boston Globe.
Book release
Harvard professor Sarah Lewis released her book 'If Emmett Till Lived: A Creative Monument' last month.
Emmett Till's death
Emmett Till was 14 when he was brutally tortured and killed in Mississippi in 1955.
Jury acquittal
Two white men were accused of the murder but an all-white all-male jury acquitted them.
Book purpose
Lewis imagines what Emmett Till's life might have looked like had he lived and what would have had to change.
Exhibit details
The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago hosts an exhibit open until December 19.
Public contributions
Visitors can submit reflections on the website to share their imaginations about Emmett Till's life.
Collaboration with Wheeler Parker
Lewis collaborated with Emmett Till's best friend and last living eyewitness, Wheeler Parker Jr., 87, to complete the project.
The takeaway
Harvard professor Sarah Lewis imagines Emmett Till's life if he had survived his 1955 murder, creating a book and Chicago exhibit to spark dialogue about civil rights history.
