# What if Emmett Till lived?

> Harvard professor Sarah Lewis explores Emmett Till's potential life through a book and Chicago exhibit.
- Title: What if Emmett Till lived? · The Boston Globe | Shortify
- Summary: Harvard professor Sarah Lewis explores Emmett Till's potential life through a book and Chicago exhibit. Harvard professor Sarah Lewis imagines Emmett Till's…
- Keywords: emmett till, harvard, sarah lewis, museum of contemporary photography, chicago, civil rights movement, if emmett till lived, news, local, Emmett, Till, lived
- Source: The Boston Globe — https://bostonglobe.com/2026/10/21/lifestyle/sarah-lewis-emmett-till-book-show
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: emmett till, harvard, sarah lewis, museum of contemporary photography, chicago, civil rights movement, if emmett till lived, news, local
## 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.
## Key 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.