GLENDORA — The Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center (ETHIC) will host an Interfaith Community Prayer Vigil on the grounds of the ETHIC museum at 235 Thomas St. in Glendora on Friday, Aug. 28, at 8 p.m.
The vigil will honor not only the memory of Emmett Till, whose death in August 1955 became a defining moment in the struggle for civil rights, but it will also recognize the lives of young people throughout the Mississippi Delta and across the nation who have been lost to violence.
Local faith leaders will come together to offer prayer and words of encouragement:
• Rev. Anthony Hawkins of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Mound Bayou
• Rev. Winfred Hill of Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Glendora and Frierson Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Tutwiler
• Rev. R.C. Chambers of Persimmon Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Glendora
• Rev. Sylvester Walker and Minister Annette Walker of New Beginnings Missionary Baptist Church in Webb
•Melvin Hill, deacon at True Bible Way Church of Jesus Christ in Tippo
The Community Prayer Vigil is open to all faiths. It will provide an opportunity for the entire community to gather in prayer, remembrance, healing and a renewed commitment to ending youth violence.
“This vigil is an opportunity for us to remember, to grieve, to pray, and to stand united as a community,” said Dr. Sharon Hill, executive director of ETHIC. “We are creating a space where families and community members can come together to pray for healing and make a collective commitment to stopping the violence that is taking the lives of our young people. Families who have lost their young loved ones to violence have not been forgotten.”
The vigil will include a call to prayer, the reading of names, and a candle-lighting ceremony. Together, these acts of remembrance will create a sacred space for families and community members to honor those who have been lost while praying for healing, peace and an end to violence.
As part of the vigil, the names of young people who have lost their lives to violence will be read aloud. Those who would like to add their young loved one’s name are asked to provide their name, birth date, and death date to Dr. Sharon Hill at sharon@emmett-till-ethic.org by Wednesday, Aug. 26.
All families and loved ones who have lost young people to violence are encouraged to attend the vigil with photographs, commemorative T-shirts, or other items that help honor and remember their loved ones.
For more information, contact Dr. Sharon Hill at sharon@emmett-till-ethic.org.
