On Tuesday, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton joined President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the signing of the National Monument Proclamation to honor the life of Emmett Till and the brave advocacy of his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley.
As a resident of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood — the home of the church where Emmett Till’s funeral was held — Lt. Governor Stratton recognizes deeply that we must uplift their legacies as we continue the work to build a better tomorrow, she said in a statement.
While states across our country are attempting to erase Black history, we remember Mamie Till-Mobley’s efforts to shine a light on the miscarriage of justice against her son Emmett, with her voice helping to spark the movement for civil rights that endures today, Lt. Governor Stratton added.
“I am honored to join President Biden and Vice President Harris to observe the 82nd birthday of Emmett Till. While Emmett’s murder was over 60 years ago, we remember him and the life that was stolen from him, and his mother Mamie Till-Mobley’s bravery
and advocacy to shed a light on the injustice,” said Lt. Gov. Stratton.
“Far too many lives have been disrupted by prejudice, racism and discrimination across our country. We must not, and will not, sit idle. As a mother and the first Black Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, this proclamation is a major step — because hatred does not belong in our schools, in our communities, or in our future.”
Stratton also added, “This monument is a step forward in the fight for civil rights and racial justice to repair the harm that has been done by the legal system. It is a recognition that for too long, being a Black person in America has been a death sentence for many – Emmett Till, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Sandra Bland and many more names who have tragically become headlines in our society.
“Today will mark a new day in which Emmett Till’s story is told to educate and heal our wounds.”
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