Program

Public Programs: Exhibitions: Implementation

Period of Performance

5/1/2021 - 12/31/2023

Funding Totals

$400,000.00 (approved)
$400,000.00 (awarded)


Emmett Till's Journey Home: A Story of Racism that Shocked a Nation

FAIN: GI-278241-21

Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN 46206-3000)
Jennifer Pace-Robinson (Project Director: September 2020 to present)

Implementation of a traveling exhibition on Emmett Till, whose lynching at the age of 14 in 1955 was a major turning point in the civil rights movement.

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (Museum), together with the Emmett Till Interpretive Center (ETIC), requests a grant of $400,000 from the NEH to create the traveling exhibition, "Emmett Till’s Journey Home: A Story of Racism that Shocked a Nation" (tentative title) in partnership with the Till family and notable Till scholars. Featuring a vandalized Emmett Till historical marker that represents the ongoing challenges of racism in the United States, the traveling exhibition will tell the story of 14-year-old Emmett Till and his racially motivated 1955 murder, which sparked the civil rights movement and inspired a generation of young activists. By focusing on the story of one child, Emmett, the exhibition will make the difficult topic of the nation’s long history of racism accessible for family audiences, fostering dialogue and, as a result, inspiring families to take action to address modern-day racism in their own communities.



Media Coverage

'What We Want Is Accountability'; The Rev. Wheeler Parker was there in the bedroom when Emmett Till was abducted. His memoir recounts the 70-year push for federal charges. (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Christopher Borrelli
Publication: Chicago Tribune
Date: 3/16/2023
URL: https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-wheeler-parker-emmett-till-book-20230316-zaadjq2trffb3fel5poq2l2qnu-story.html#ed=rss_www.chicagotribune.com/arcio/rss/category/entertainment/

The best things to do in the D.C. area the week of Jan. 26-Feb. 1 (Media Coverage)
Publication: Washington Post
Date: 5/3/2024
URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/01/26/dc-area-events-concerts-festivals/

MLK Library exhibit explores Emmitt Till's life and murder (Media Coverage)
Publication: Axios
Date: 1/31/2023
URL: https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2023/01/31/dc-mlk-library-exhibit-emmitt-till

Emmett Till And His Mother Are Back In Mississippi For An Exhibition Sharing Their Story With A New Generation (Media Coverage)
Publication: Forbes
Date: 5/3/2024
URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chaddscott/2023/03/30/emmett-till-and-his-mother-are-back-in-mississippi-for-an-exhibition-sharing-their-story-with-a-new-generation/



Associated Products

Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See Exhibition Website (Web Resource)
Title: Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See Exhibition Website
Author: The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Abstract: The official website for the traveling exhibition, Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See.
Year: 2022
Primary URL: https://emmetttillexhibit.org/