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National monument will honor Emmett Till and his mother in Mississippi and Chicago

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President Joe Biden is expected to sign documents Tuesday to create a national monument honoring Emmett Till and his mother, according to National Park Service officials.

“The Till story is a vital part of the American story, and it’s fitting that it’s recognized and protected by the federal government,” said Dave Tell, author of “Remembering Emmett Till.”

After he was killed in Mississippi, his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, insisted on opening his casket so “the world could see what they did to my boy.” Photographs of his brutalized body ran in Jet magazine and around the world, provoking international outrage.

In September 1955, an all-white jury acquitted half-brothers Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam — only for them to confess months later to Look magazine that they had killed the 14-year-old from Chicago.

Less than 10 weeks after the acquittal, Rosa Parks boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, and refused to give up her seat. She was quoted later as saying she was thinking about Till the whole time.

To this day, he remains a flashpoint for civil rights activities. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. mentioned his name in the same breath with the 1963 assassination of his friend, Mississippi NAACP leader Medgar Evers.

In the decades since, Till’s name and photographs have appeared in protests alongside those of Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd.

Among the sites making up the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument:

  • Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago where Till’s funeral was held.
  • Graball Landing, near where Till’s body was found in the Tallahatchie River.
  • The Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Sumner, where the jury acquitted his killers.

Noticeably missing from the list is the former Bryant Grocery, where Till reportedly wolf-whistled at a white woman.

The store’s owners — the children of the late Ray Tribble, who voted with other jurors to acquit Till’s killers — have repeatedly refused to sell the store, demanding $4 million for the crumbling structure. That price tag prompted the late Alvin Sykes, the force behind the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act, to remark that the family was “holding history hostage.”

The Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., the last living witness of Emmett Till’s kidnapping, said it’s been his life’s work “to tell the truth of what happened to Emmett.”

“This national monument designation makes certain that Emmett Till’s life and legacy, along with his mother Mamie Till-Mobley’s social action and impact, will live on and be used to inspire others to create a more just and equitable society,” Parker said. “We thank President Biden for codifying the national monument and are heartened to know these places will foster empathy, understanding and healing for years to come.”

Veteran state Rep. Tommy Reynolds, D-Water Valley, says the action of President Joe Biden to designate the national monument to honor Emmett Till is the culmination of hard work by local people.

“We had people in Tallahatchie County work together to form the Emmett Till Commission. It was half white and half Black. A lot of people worked to preserve the sites and deserve credit. They worked together,” said Reynolds, who represents much of the area in the Mississippi House and is the attorney for the Tallahatchie County Board of Supervisors. He will be present at the Tuesday ceremonies at the White House and at the Department of Interior. 

“This is going to be well received in our area. And it is appropriate to be remembered in hopes it will not happen again. We are all Americans and should have the right to life, liberty and happiness.”

Reynolds said the federal, state and local governments contributed to restoring the Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Sumner to its 1955 condition. In 1955 two white men were tried and acquitted by an all white jury for the murder of the teen-ager Till. The men later confessed to the murder.

The Mississippi Legislature passed a bill to allow Tallahatchie County to convey the deed to the courthouse to the federal government.

Money also has been raised to provide a new location to replace the historic Tallahatchie County Courthouse where routine business can be conducted. Under the agreement, the historic courthouse can still be used by the county until the new location is ready.

The center’s executive director, Patrick Weems, said the designation represents 15 years of hard work for a story that is pivotal in our nation’s history.

“The lynching of Emmett Till and the courage of Mamie Till Mobley served as a springboard to the modern Civil Rights Movement, and preserving this history in perpetuity will serve as a continual act of restorative justice,” Weems said. “We extend our deepest gratitude to the Tallahatchie County Board of Supervisors, and Congressman Bennie Thompson for championing this vision of reconciliation, which has now become a national monument.”

Rev. Willie Williams, chair of the board of directors of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center, praised the decision to designate a national monument.

“Out of the tragedy of Emmett Till’s brutal murder, a national monument has risen as a symbol of hope, healing, and reconciliation,” he said. “Through this designation, we affirm that what man intended for evil, God can indeed use for good. We honor the memory of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, whose courageous actions sparked a civil rights movement and continue to inspire us today. We are grateful to the local people of Tallahatchie County who have tirelessly worked to make this monument a reality. Their efforts remind us that out of the ashes of tragedy, beauty can emerge, and that through collective action, we can transform pain into progress.”

The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and the Mellon Foundation are investing $5 million to help preserve the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ for future generations.

Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of National Parks Conservation Association, said throughout our nation’s history, “There are few stories as heart wrenching as the murder of Emmett Till. It is a story that lays bare the brutality of systemic racism and injustice for the world to see. 

“But it is also a story of determination,” Pierno said. “This is a story of a brave young mother who experienced a parent’s worst nightmare, but found the strength and power to rise up and shine a light on injustice as a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Mamie Till-Mobley galvanized a movement and inspired a nation.

“Yet despite the progress we have made since 1955, the work is not done. The America we live in still bears many of the scars of the past, and some of our darkest history repeats itself. We still see echoes of Emmett’s story and blatant racial injustice in our society today, and as national park advocates, we are committed to doing our part to fight it. Black Lives Matter. They matter in our homes, they matter in our stores, our cities, and yes, in our national parks.”

Mississippi Today political reporter Bobby Harrison contributed to this report.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi Today

On this day in 1945, Sister Rosetta Tharpe hit the R&B charts

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mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 07:00:00

April 30, 1945

Publicity photo of American musician Sister Rosetta Tharpe in 1938.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, known as the “godmother of rock ‘n’ roll,” made history by becoming the first gospel artist to rocket up the R&B charts with her gospel hit, “Strange Things Happening Every Day.” In so doing, she paved the way for a strange new sound. 

“Rock ‘n’ roll was bred between the church and the nightclubs in the soul of a queer Black woman in the 1940s named Sister Rosetta Tharpe,” National Public Radio wrote. “She was there before Elvis, Little Richard and Johnny Cash swiveled their hips and strummed their guitars. It was Tharpe, the godmother of rock ‘n’ roll, who turned this burgeoning musical style into an international sensation.” 

Born in Arkansas, the musical prodigy grew up in Mississippi in the Church of God in Christ, a Pentecostal denomination that welcomed all-out music and praise. By age 6, she was performing alongside her mandolin-playing mother in a traveling evangelistic troupe. By the mid-1920s, she and her mother had joined the Great Migration to Chicago, where they continued performing. 

“As Tharpe grew up, she began fusing Delta blues, New Orleans jazz and gospel music into what would become her signature style,” NPR wrote. 

Her hard work paid off when she joined the Cotton Club Revue in New York City. She was only 23. Before the end of 1938, she recorded gospel songs for Decca, including “Rock Me,” which became a huge hit and made her an overnight sensation. Little Richard, Aretha Franklin and Jerry Lee Lewis have all cited her as an influence. 

“Sister Rosetta played guitar like the men I was listening to, only smoother, with bigger notes,” said singer-songwriter Janis Ian. “And of course, personally, any female player was a big influence on me, because there were so few.” 

After hearing her successors on the radio, Tharpe was quoted as saying, “Oh, these kids and rock and roll — this is just sped up rhythm and blues. I’ve been doing that forever.” 

On the eve of a 1973 recording session, she died of a stroke and was buried in an unmarked grave. In the decades that followed, she finally began to receive the accolades that had eluded her in life. 

In 2007, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, and money was raised for her headstone. Eleven years later, she was inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame. 

“She was, and is,” NPR concluded, “an unmatched artist.”

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post On this day in 1945, Sister Rosetta Tharpe hit the R&B charts appeared first on mississippitoday.org



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article is a historical and biographical piece about Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a pioneering musician who influenced the development of rock ‘n’ roll. The content is factual, focusing on her contributions to music and her impact on the genre. The language used does not present any ideological stance or promote a specific political view. It highlights the cultural and musical significance of Tharpe without delving into any political or controversial matters, making it neutral in tone. Therefore, the article can be classified as centrist in its presentation.

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Mississippi Today

Ex-MS Coast police officer accused of assaulting 74-year-old female protester

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mississippitoday.org – @BobbyHarrison9 – 2025-04-29 15:51:00

by Margaret Baker, Sun Herald, Mississippi Today
April 29, 2025

LONG BEACH — A retired Long Beach police officer arrested Thursday is accused of assaulting a woman holding a protest sign and threatening a second victim, Long Beach Police Chief Billy Seal confirmed Friday.

Police arrested Craig DeRouche, 64, for allegedly assaulting a woman during an encounter on U.S. 90 at Jeff Davis Avenue. He is charged with a second misdemeanor charge of assault by threat for allegedly threatening a man who reported that he saw the alleged attack and tried to intervene, Seal said.

A woman protesting on the Mississippi Coast was allegedly assaulted by a former police officer. Photo courtesy of the Sun Herald.

According to Seal, the protester, identified as a 74-year-old woman, was holding a protest sign supporting the right to due process under the U.S. Constitution for Americans before the assault occurred.

The woman, a Navy veteran, is now in stable condition in a local hospital.

READ THE FULL STORY at the Sun Herald.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Ex-MS Coast police officer accused of assaulting 74-year-old female protester appeared first on mississippitoday.org



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article presents a factual account of an incident involving a retired police officer accused of assaulting a protester. The tone is neutral, focusing on the details of the event without engaging in overt political rhetoric or bias. The source, Mississippi Today, is known for providing straightforward news coverage, and there is no clear indication of political framing or partisanship in the language used. The article simply reports the incident and includes basic details about the people involved, including the protester’s age, condition, and the charges against the officer. No ideological perspectives are offered, which supports a centrist assessment.

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Mississippi Today

Chris Lemonis had at least earned the right to finish season

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mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-29 15:11:00

Chris Lemonis speaks to reporters during a press conference at the 2021 College World Series

On April 28, 2022, the Ole Miss baseball Rebels had won 23 games and lost 17 overall. They were 6-12 in the Southeastern Conference. The various Internet message boards were filled with posts calling for head baseball coach Mike Bianco’s dismissal. Yes, and two months later, Bianco and his Rebels won the College World Series.

Rick Cleveland

Contrast that with this: On April 28 of this year, Mississippi State’s Diamond Dogs had a 25-19 record overall, 7-14 in the SEC. The various Internets boards were filled with posts calling for head coach Chris Lemonis to be fired. He was.

In both those situations, the Mississippi teams were six games over the .500 mark overall. In both those situations, the teams had lost twice as many SEC games as they had won. Ole Miss stayed the course, and it paid off, remarkably so. In sharp contrast, Mississippi State pulled the trigger, and we shall see what happens next.

Another big difference in the two situations: Bianco had never won a national championship in his previous 20 years at Ole Miss. Lemonis won the first national championship in State history just four years ago.

You ask me, that national championship, not even four years ago, should have earned Lemonis, at the very least, the right to finish out this season. I don’t see anything to be gained with firing the man with three weeks remaining in the regular season. Most NCAA Tournament projections have Mississippi State listed as one of the first four teams out. The Bulldogs are ranked 45th in RPI against the nation’s 13th most difficult schedule. They are on the NCAA Tournament bubble, just as Ole Miss was three seasons ago.

This is not to say I believe that Lemonis, given the opportunity, would have done what Bianco did three years ago, But it is certainly within the realm of possibility. We’ve seen it happen. In baseball, more than any other sport, teams run hot and cold. State could have gotten hot, gotten on a roll in May and June and at least made it to the College World Series. It happens for someone nearly every year in college baseball. For that matter, it could still happen for State this year with interim head coach Justin Parker calling the shots.

And I know what many of those calling for the dismissal of Lemonis will say. They’ll say that in firing Lemonis now, State can get a head start on hiring a new coach to turn the program around. Not so. Any coach that the Bulldogs would hire is still coaching a team and will be coaching a team through at least May. 

Traditionally, Mississippi State baseball is one of the nation’s top programs. State baseball facilities are second to none. Fan support is among the nation’s best. 

But it is not, as athletic director Zac Selmon put it “the premier program in college baseball.” It is much more accurate to say State’s is a really good program in the premier conference in college baseball.

LSU, Texas, and Arkansas, all teams in the same conference, have similar fan support, terrific facilities and have enjoyed much more on-the-field success. Tennessee has improved dramatically. Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Texas A & M have made huge strides in facilities, fan support and baseball emphasis. 

And here’s the deal: Tradition, facilities and fan support, while still important, all have become secondary issues when it comes to ingredients for success in college athletics. You know what really matters most? NIL and the ability to attract players in the transfer portal, that’s what. This is no longer amateur sports. It’s pay-for-play. It’s professional sports in every respect.

The first question recruits ask: What can you pay me? The first question any prospective coach will ask Mississippi State: How much money will I get to pay players? In Monday’s press release announcing the dismissal of Lemonis, Selmon was quoted as saying State’s baseball “NIL offerings” are second to none. There’s no way of knowing for sure, but I have heard otherwise from numerous sources.

 I hate that we have reached this point in college athletics, but we most assuredly have. I also hate that Lemonis, a good man and a good coach, doesn’t get the chance to finish the season. I thought he had earned that.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Chris Lemonis had at least earned the right to finish season appeared first on mississippitoday.org



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article presents an opinion focused on the dismissal of Mississippi State baseball coach Chris Lemonis, highlighting the contrast between the treatment of Lemonis and Ole Miss’ coach Mike Bianco. The writer criticizes the decision to fire Lemonis prematurely, arguing that his past success, including a national championship, warranted the opportunity to finish the season. The piece does not lean heavily toward any political or ideological position, instead focusing on the dynamics within college athletics and coaching decisions. While the critique of the decision might appeal to readers who value stability and tradition, it does not show a clear partisan or ideological bias.

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