SUMNER — The new 2nd District Tallahatchie County Courthouse here will have a grand opening ceremony at 10 a.m. this Saturday, Nov. 14. The annual Fall Book Walk will also be held on the square in the afternoon.
Over the past year, the National Park Foundation has supported the construction of a new courthouse to serve the needs of the community, a process that was completed in October.
The existing courthouse, where the trial for Emmett Till’s murder was held, can thus transition to a full-time historic site as part of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, a unit of the National Park Service.
Participating speakers for the 10 a.m. opening will be U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker; state Rep. Tracey Rosebud; former state Rep. Tommy Reynolds; Tallahatchie County Board of Supervisors President Johnny Goodwin; Ben West, acting superintendent for the National Monument; Ruth Prescott, executive vice president and chief governance officer for the National Park Foundation; and Rev. Willie Williams, board chair for the Emmett Till Interpretive Center. A tour of the facility will conclude the program.
Attendees will hear about the work done to tell Emmett’s story so that it would not be forgotten.
The Sumner square will also hold the fifth annual Book Walk from 12 to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Friendly City Books of Columbus will be providing free books for children, and DJ Swagg will be playing music throughout the event.
In addition to face painting and food vendors, organizations like the Charleston Library and the Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center will be in attendance to inform the community of their resources and upcoming projects.
“This has been such a journey that so many others have been part of,” said ETIC Executive Director Patrick Weems. “Preserving sites allows the truth of those places to be told. With the new facility opening, the courthouse where the trial was held can continue as a federally protected site where visitors can learn about this critical history directly, in a way that books and videos can’t capture.”
