Emmett Till’s life was tragically cut short at the tender age of 14. Commemorating what could have been his 85th birthday on July 25, a new art exhibition at Blanc Gallery on Chicago’s South Side is bringing together artists and community members to reflect on his legacy and enduring impact.
Now through July 25, “From Memory to Movement: Emmett at 85” features 12 artists of all disciplines to spark meaningful conversations about memory, justice and the pursuit of happiness. It’s a partnership between the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute and Blanc Gallery; the latter is located at 4445 S. Martin Luther King Dr.
More than seven decades after two white men brutally murdered him in Money, Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Till’s story helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement and continues to shape conversations about racial justice and Black life in America. Through artwork and community dialogue, “From Memory to Movement: Emmett at 85” seeks to move beyond the tragedy that made Till a historical figure and encourage visitors to instead reflect on his humanity — particularly, the life he might have been able to live.
The TRiiBE spoke to photographer and social justice artist Tonika Lewis Johnson about her participation in the exhibit, and what she hopes visitors take away from the experience.
“Honoring this moment in history, and all of the systemic issues that contributed to the death of this young boy, should be remembered as a reminder of not only what this country is, but also how far we have come, and what we must continue to do in order to not go back to that kind of past,” she said.
Lewis Johnson contributed two photographs to the exhibition. One is titled “Remembering Summer,” showing young Black boys enjoying a summer’s day at a water park. The other is a collaboration piece, “Now and Then,” a collaboration done with the event curator Raymond A. Thomas. This piece shows again young Black boys all congregated around a fence, on their bikes. Next to it is Thomas’ piece, a mix collage of Till and cousins on bikes.
“The teenage experience of Black boy freedom in the neighborhood, riding bikes, playing in the water park — that was taken from him,” she said. “Even to this day, we police Black teens, Black boys, and don’t allow them to have the moments that are captured in my photos.”
Lewis Johnson’s images serve as a reminder that Till was more than a symbol of racial violence. He was a child whose future was cut short.
“The exhibit was really important to me because it not only illuminates and memorializes the lasting impact of racism and segregation, but also it uplifts the memory of Emmett Till and what his death, this tragedy, really ignited in this country, which you know ultimately is the Civil Rights Movement,” she told us.
Another celebrated Chicago artist John Caleb Pendleton contributed “Tallahatchie Chiffarobe,” a sculptural piece inspired by Southern literature and the legacy of racial violence. The concept comes from that of a “shift robe,” a freestanding wardrobe often used in literature as a symbol of hidden truths.
“The shift robe in Southern literature represents family secrets and hidden things,” Pendleton said. “That was kind of the influence for the piece.”
The shift robe features a stark contrast between a white exterior and Black interior, a design choice Pendleton said reflects segregation.
“It’s got this very rugged, jagged hole forced into the side of it,” he said about the sculpture. “Mimicking off of Mamie Till-Mobley’s words of, ‘Let the world see what they did.'”
Constructed from cotton, lotus pods and other symbolic materials, the sculpture also incorporates references to the Tallahatchie River, where Till’s mutilated body was found. Rather than focusing solely on death, Pendleton said he wanted the piece to convey strength and empowerment.
“I wanted it to feel very empowering and just very strong,” he said.
Curator of the event, Raymond A. Thomas said the exhibition was intentionally designed to be more than a birthday commemoration.
“We didn’t want to just make it some memorialization, but we wanted to have it as a collective reflection on this life and the whole idea of how that legacy still shapes the Black memory and identity and resistance in America,” Thomas said.
For Thomas, that reflection also means insisting on a fuller picture of who Till was.
“Emmett Till is not just a martyred victim; he was a beacon for us, and he was just a regular little kid from Chicago,” Thomas said. “If you look at the work in the show, the work kind of celebrates that youthfulness, and it remembers that it humanizes him in a way where we see him beyond martyrdom.”
That idea of seeing Till beyond martyrdom connects to what Thomas calls “radical joy,” a concept rooted in survival, resistance and celebration. ”It’s like one of our superpowers that kept us [whole] even in the very harsh times of chattel slavery until now. Our ability to fight through it, even in being joyous as we fight. Chuck D has a line from Public Enemy, where he says ‘Singing while we’re swinging,’ and I think that’s what we need to do in these times, and that’s what this show is about,” Thomas said.
The exhibition is also a testament to the importance that art holds when it comes to preserving stories and Black history. Across paintings, photographs and mixed-media works, artists engage with questions of memory, loss and what it means to preserve a life through art.
Thomas hopes visitors leave the exhibition not only with a deeper understanding of Till’s legacy, but also a renewed commitment to preserving Black stories and carrying them forward.
There will be an artist talk at the exhibition on Saturday, June 27 from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Moderated by celebrated journalist LeeAnn Trotter, and including all the participating artists who choose to show, the conversation promises to be a passionate and in-depth talk about the exhibition, the making of the art, and Till’s legacy.
“I would hope that people would see it as a call to action,” Thomas said. “To know that our stories are pivotal to our continuing freedoms,” Thomas said.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect the correct last name of the event’s curator.
