Rep. Maxine Waters Commemorates Emmett Till’s Birthday and Applauds President Biden’s Monument Proclamation

Media Contact: Hermela.aregawi@mail.house.gov

Washington D.C. - Congresswoman Maxine Waters released the following statement on President Biden's signing of a proclamation to create the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Mississippi and Illinois.

"On the solemn occasion of what would have been Emmett Till's 82nd birthday, I join the nation in remembering him, and commend President Biden's important step in preserving the legacies of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley.

The brutal murder of 14-year-old Emmett, and the acquittal of his murderers by an all-white jury in 1955, served as a searing catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. It remains a painful symbol of racial injustice in America's very recent history. Mamie Till-Mobley's words, "Let the people see what they did to my boy," ring in our ears today as we remember the awe-inspiring but heartbreaking courage of a mother in unimaginable grief.

Mamie was determined not to let her son's death pass without forever changing the American conscience. These tributes serve as a reminder of their lasting impact, while acknowledging the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality.

I was 16-years-old when Emmett was kidnapped, tortured and murdered. The parents and leaders of our community made sure that we all understood what was going on in this country at that time. We are never to forget what happened to Emmett Till and what happened to so many others when lynching was a way of life.

Last Congress, we passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act that codified lynching as a federal hate crime. President Biden's proclamation today is another courageous step that reaffirms our commitment to confronting the darker aspects of our past as we strive for a more just future."

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