For six weeks, the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See exhibit has been at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. This traveling exhibit was a collaboration between The Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley Institute, the Emmett Till Interpretive Center, the Till family, and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

The exhibit focuses on the life and death of Emmett Till, who died tragically on August 28, 1955, after whistling at a white woman in Mississippi. Days later, his beaten and tortured body was found in the Tallahatchie river. His mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, had his body shipped home to Illinois and had an open-casket funeral. Black press published the photos. She wanted the world to see what hatred and racism looked like. She took her son’s tragic death and turned it into a rallying cry for justice.

Till-Mobley once said, “Whatever happens to any of us anywhere in the world had better be the business of all of us.” This exhibit encourages children to become changemakers and make a ripple for justice.

Some people may question why such an exhibit would be at a children’s museum, but they shouldn’t. Emmett Till was a child. He died too soon, at only 14 years old. If a child is old enough to be on the receiving end of racism and lose his life, then other children can learn about it. The recommended age for the exhibit is age ten and above.

Not only does this exhibit speak to children, but it also speaks to adults as well. Many people from across the state, both young and old, went to the exhibit: church groups, community members, and middle and high school students.

The exhibit was thoughtfully put together and tells Emmett’s story while leaving visitors with hope. Additionally, Emmett is humanized, and more is shared about his life outside his tragic death. Last, visitors will learn how Till-Mobley and others continue to make ripples for justice.

The last day to view the exhibit in Indianapolis is October 30, 2022. The exhibit will travel to the other locations below.

• Sept. 17–Oct. 30, 2022 | The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, IN)
• Nov. 19, 2022–Jan. 8, 2023 | Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (Birmingham, AL)
• Jan. 28–March 12, 2023 | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (Washington, DC)
• April 1–May 14, 2023 | Two Mississippi Museums (Jackson, MS)
• June 3–July 16, 2023 | DuSable Museum of African American History (Chicago, IL)
• Aug. 5–Sept. 17, 2023 | Atlanta History Center (Atlanta, GA)
• Oct. 7–Nov. 19, 2023 | National Civil Rights Museum (Memphis, TN)