The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument became the country’s 425th national park yesterday, on the 82nd anniversary of Emmett Till’s birth. In August and September of 1955, a series of tragic events in rural Mississippi and Chicago’s South Side brought a 14-year-old, African American boy’s lynching to national attention. Emmett Till’s kidnapping, murder, and funeral marked a turning point in America’s understanding of racist violence. Mamie Till-Mobley’s courage in showing the brutality done to her son highlighted racial injustice and helped inspire the modern civil rights movement. Visitor services for the new monument will be provided by park rangers at Pullman National Historical Park in Chicago and in partnership with the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Mississippi. Information about visiting and ranger-led programs can be found at: nps.gov/TILL Image 1: Portrait of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. Image 2: Roberts Temple Church of God in Chr...