Photos of Emmett Till's face and of Mamie Till's grief circulated the country and the world, first in Jet magazine and in black publications then in international papers. She then made the brave decision to hold an open-casket funeral and uttered the famous words, "Let the world see what I've seen." (3)īecause of Mamie Till-Mobley's actions, over 100,000 mourners came to witness Emmett Till's body in the open casket at Roberts Temple. However, Mamie Till had not agreed to leave the casket sealed, and once the body arrived in Chicago, she instructed the funeral home to open the casket or she would "take a hammer and open the box myself." (2) When the casket was opened, she was horrified by what she saw, but she knew it was her son. The body was sent back under the condition that no one open the casket. She managed to prevent a hasty burial of Emmett at East Money Church of God in Christ, and the body was sent back by the same train that Emmett had taken down to Chicago, the City of New Orleans. When Mamie heard that Emmett's body had been found in the Tallahatchie River, she immediately sent word to her Uncle Crosby that the body should be sent back to Chicago for a funeral service. "If you have to humble yourself, then just do it. Before sending Emmett on the train down to Mississippi, Mamie explained to him the way things were down South.
However, Emmett was persistent, and she relented. She worried that, because he didn't know the social norms in the South, his jovial nature could get him into serious trouble. Emmett was known for being a jokester and had never lived in the South. In 1955, when Emmett asked to travel down to Mississippi with his cousin and best friend Wheeler Parker to visit family, Mamie first said no. Louis Till joined the military shortly thereafter. Mamie ended the relationship with Louis and divorced him in 1942.
On July 25, 1941, Mamie Till gave birth to Emmett Till. In 1940, at the age of 18, Mamie married Louis Till, who also worked for Argo Corn Products. Though she grew up outside of Chicago, much of her family remained in Mississippi. When she was two years old, her family became a part of the Great Migration and moved to Summit, IL (outside of Chicago) where her father had found a job working at Argo Corn Products. Mamie Till-Mobley (née Carthan) was born in 1921 in Webb, MS. Mamie Till-Mobley dedicated her life to seeking justice for her son Emmett and to supporting and educating young people. "Mamie's courage unsettled people of conscience into action." - Rev. She was blessed among women to carry the mantle with grace and dignity." - Rosa Parks The respect I have felt for her since 1955 will always live with me. The news of Emmett's death caused many people to participate in the cry for justice and equal rights, including myself.
"I am so thankful for the bravery and courage Mamie demonstrated when she shared her only child with the world.
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