The July 25 bike ride celebrating Emmett Till’s 85th birthday was a success.
A crowd of around 90 people (65 youth and 25 adults) joined on the square in Sumner, braving the heat and rain.
Small groups rode around the Tallahatchie County Courthouse to music courtesy of JJ Tha Drummer & Friends, a blues band based out of Clarksdale.
Attendees also had the opportunity to take tours of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, make bracelets with a local artist and enjoy snow cones.
A Quilt for Bobo was presented as the effort of seven youth groups across Bolivar, Leflore, Sunflower and Tallahatchie Counties. Youth reflected on what Emmett Till’s legacy means to them, and the responses they generated in letters, poems and song lyrics were assembled into a quilt by a quilter in Tallahatchie County. The quilt will be permanently installed in Drew at a later date.
The evening’s events concluded with a Junior Ranger pledge inside the courthouse, where youth promised to advocate for national parks and to share Emmett’s story.
Thanks to everyone who attended and participated. We hope to expand this event in the future to remember the joy and fun in Emmett’s life.
We are grateful to the many organizations who helped make this event memorable!
