Emmett Till Interpretive Center acquires historic Milam Seed Barn, final known location of Emmett Till before his murder 

JANS – During a recent virtual teach-in, in a historic milestone for civil rights preservation, the Emmett Till Interpretive Center (ETIC) announced the successful acquisition of the barn outside Drew, Mississippi, where 14-year-old Emmett Till was tortured and killed in the early morning hours of August 28, 1955. This landmark achievement, made possible through the generosity of The Rhimes Foundation, ensures that one of the most significant historic sites in American history will be permanently protected. 

The announcement was made on November 23, which would have been the 104th birthday of Mamie Till-Mobley, Emmett’s mother, whose decision to let the world see her son’s brutalized body transformed a Mississippi lynching into a catalyst for the civil rights movement. 

“This is a monumental achievement in our mission to preserve the complete truth of Emmett Till’s story,” said Patrick Weems, ETIC’s executive director. “Without this purchase, this sacred ground could have been destroyed or lost forever. We saved it so that truth could keep shaping us and future generations can stand where history happened.” 

This acquisition represents perhaps the most significant preservation achievement in ETIC’s history, building on nearly two decades of work in the Mississippi Delta. ETIC previously led efforts to restore the Tallahatchie County Courthouse, where Willie Reed and others testified, commemorated the riverbank where Emmett’s body was found, and replaced memorial signs that have been repeatedly vandalized and defaced. 

“This is an extraordinary moment in our nation’s reckoning with its past,” said Dr. Daphne Chamberlain, Chief Program Officer at ETIC. “Mamie Till-Mobley chose to let the world see the brutality inflicted upon her son. We honor her commitment to truth-telling by protecting the places where that brutality occurred. We cannot let the world see if the places themselves disappear.” 

“For too long, people in the Delta – especially in places like Drew – have carried the weight of this story without the world truly seeing us,” said Gloria Dickerson, founder of We2Gether Creating Change, a nonprofit based in Drew, MS. “This is where Willie Reed found the courage to speak the truth, and that courage still echoes through our fields. The barn’s preservation means our voices, our land, and our legacy will finally be part of how the world remembers Emmett Till – and how it learns from him.” 

By the 75th anniversary of Emmett Till’s lynching in 2030, ETIC plans for the barn to be open to the public as a permanent memorial – a place of truth, reverence, and conscience. Additional details about specific plans and timelines will be announced in the coming months as ETIC works with historians, preservationists, and community members to develop a vision that honors the significance of this site. 

For more information on the Emmett Till Interpretive Center’s work, visit emmett-till.org. 

Established in 2006, the Emmett Till Interpretive Center is committed to accurately portraying the history and legacy of the 1955 Emmett Louis Till tragedy by promoting racial healing and reconciliation through museum interpretation, public education, memorialization, historic preservation, and community development initiatives.