Finding Her Voice

In 1955, Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African-American boy from Chicago, traveled to Money, Mississippi to visit his family. He was shopping at a store when someone said he possibly whistled at Carolyn Bryant, a white woman. He was kidnapped, tortured, and brutally murdered. His mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, insisted on holding an open-casket funeral for her son after his death, and her brave decision showed the world how racism and violence can impact a family and a community forever.

Till’s death became a rallying cry in the 1950s. And Mamie Till-Mobley’s decision and the conversations around Emmett’s death sparked a surge of activism, creating the modern civil rights movement.

Today, the effort to preserve Emmett Till’s legacy lives on at the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument and through experiences like the film academy.

Throughout her film academy experience, Wright learned about Till as well as pivotal moments in the civil rights movement, gaining a broader perspective on timelines and history.

Wright’s experience in the academy culminated in her final film, “The Winona Project,” which tells the story of Fannie Lou Hamer.

“As we were creating the film, one of the toughest things was naming it. We didn't want it to be simple or plain but we ended up naming it “The Winona Project”. This is because the film evolved around the beating of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer that happened in Winona,” says Wright. “The film captures the horrible event, but it also celebrates her. It starts with her experience and leads out with celebratory ceremonies and uplifting messages to encourage change and to remember Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer.”

It was a perfect combination of the power of Emmett’s story, the courage of Mamie Till-Mobley, Hamer’s own story, and feeling empowered with new storytelling skills that unlocked something new in Wright.

“Before my experience in [the film academy], I was shy and very skeptical about sharing.” Now, she says, “I’ve grown out of that shell.”

A New Park, A New Film Program

Designated a national park site in 2023, the national monument is comprised of three locations across two states: the Tallahatchie County Courthouse, where an all-white jury acquitted two white men of Till’s murder; Graball Landing, the site where Till’s body was recovered from the Tallahatchie River; and the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago, where Till’s memorial was held.

The National Park Foundation is working in close partnership with the Emmett Till Interpretive Center – a Mississippi Delta-based nonprofit focused on public education and historic preservation – to help lay the groundwork for the future of the new national monument.

Located in Sumner, Mississippi – a small town with a population of less than 500 people – the Emmett Till Interpretive Center, which sits next to the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, has also become an important landmark and educational center.

As part of this effort, ETIC created a two-week-long student film academy in collaboration with the National Park Service that aims to educate and inspire students to carry on Emmett Till’s legacy through mentorship and individual film projects. The film program, which ran from June 17-29, 2024, is supported by a ParkVentures grant from the National Park Foundation.

The program brought together 24 local high school and rising college students, including Wright, who toured the park and the surrounding sites in the Mississippi Delta with an eye toward making their own films.

The students learned about filmmaking in the context of Mississippi’s civil rights history, and through mentorship and guidance from professional filmmakers, gained the skills and confidence to tell their own stories.

"By providing space and skills for young people to express themselves, we can create a new generation of storytellers,” said Jessie Jaynes-Diming, the Special Projects Coordinator at ETIC. “Had it not been for the Black press in 1955, we would never have heard about Till's story,” she added. “My hope is that we are creating a cohort of Black filmmakers and journalists to shine light on important topics to them.”

Creating Films

As part of the film academy program, the participating students toured sites across the Mississippi Delta that were particularly relevant and important to Emmett Till’s story.

This included visiting Bryant’s Grocery & Meat Market, the spot where the initial incident allegedly occurred. They also visited Graball Landing and the Tallahatchie County Courthouse, both part of the new national monument. Film academy students also went to Ruleville, Mississippi to visit the statue of Fannie Lou Hamer, one of the most powerful figures of the civil rights and voting rights movements. Along with visiting these spots, students stopped at the Sunflower County Seed Barn, the spot where Emmett Till was beaten.

Throughout, students captured video footage for their own films, soaking in the history and importance of Emmett Till’s story. At the end of the program, the students presented their completed films at a closing event and community showcase.

For Wright, the final films weren’t the only outcome. She built meaningful connections and relationships through her participation in the program.

“The importance of making connections with people is something that I want to take from this program,” she said. “Connections can take you so far and create long-term, meaningful relationships,” she added, sharing that it’s been incredibly important for her to network and talk to people both inside and outside of the program.

The film academy has inspired Wright to continue pursuing film and exploring the field creatively, even if it isn’t the career path she ultimately chooses to take. “Filming and documenting is so important because we will need these memories,” she said, and the program inspired her to work on her editing skills, too. “All of this knowledge can be added to my resume and make me more qualified as a student.”

Reflecting on her experience, she emphasized that the program - which felt like a big family - will have a lasting impact on her in many ways. "What stuck with me the most from this experience is the bonds that were created as well as the accomplishments made through this program,” she said.

“Getting done creating and editing a project is one of the best feelings, but sharing that project with the students and instructors just for them to applaud you is even greater,” she said.

The Future of the Academy

As they look towards the future, ETIC and Jaynes-Diming envision a film academy that includes lessons and leadership from a mix of both past participants and instructors. Jaynes-Diming hopes past participants will be able to use skills they learned from the academy to come back to the program as instructors. This dream is already taking shape as former students returned to the program this year as interns.

Young people are powerful and impactful, and Jaynes-Diming wants more people to understand that. "The story of Emmett and Mamie Till and the Emmett Till Interpretive Center centers around the actions of local people who took a stand,” she pointed out. “We hope that we can empower the young people who participate in the film academy to understand the power of narrative and how young people can make a difference."

Through the stories of Wright and Jaynes-Diming, the importance of the Emmett Till Film Academy becomes clear. It’s not just about filmmaking. It’s about raising awareness, making connections, helping young people find their voice, and keeping Emmett Till’s story and legacy alive.