SUMNER — The Emmett Till Interpretive Center (ETIC) here has announced plans for a public bicycle ride on Saturday, July 25, as part of a series of activities commemorating what would have been the 85th birthday of Till.
“ETIC is embracing one of Emmett’s favorite activities by hosting a bike ride in his honor,” noted an article in ETIC’s July 1 newsletter.
The event will be held from 4 to 7:30 p.m. on the Court Square in Sumner, and all are invited to participate.
“In addition to the ride, after-hours guided tours will be available of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, which is also celebrating the third anniversary of the park designation on July 25,” the article added. “The evening will conclude with refreshments and reflection for all community members.”
Till was born in Chicago on July 25, 1941, and died Aug. 28, 1955, after being abducted and lynched while he was visiting with relatives near Money, Mississippi.
During the weeks leading up to Till’s July 25 birthday, “various youth groups will visit the Till National Monument, and youth ambassadors will have the chance to speak about Emmett’s child-hood with Rev. Wheeler Parker, Emmett’s cousin and the last living eyewitness to the kidnapping,” the article reported. “Two Tallahatchie County youth in conversation with Rev. Parker are 14 and 16, the same ages Emmett and Wheeler were in the summer of 1955.”
For more information about the upcoming Till birthday events, contact ETIC at 662-339-3510 or email info@emmett-till.org.
The ETIC website, at https://www.emmett-till.org, offers a wealth of information about these and other planned activities sponsored by the center as well as other supporting partners.
