REV. AL SHARPTON APPLAUDS PRESIDENT BIDEN FOR ESTABLISHING THE EMMETT TILL AND MAMIE TILL-MOBLEY NATIONAL MONUMENT

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Jul 25, 2023

New York, NY (Tuesday, July 25, 2023) – Rev. Al Sharpton, President and Founder of the National Action Network (NAN), issued the following statement on President Biden’s directive to create the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Illinois.

“I had the distinct honor of knowing Mamie Till-Mobley, who had visited the National Action Network’s Harlem headquarters and shared her fight for Emmett. I remember her telling me how painful it was to make the decision of keeping his casket open, so everyone could see her maimed and mortally wounded son. Little did she know that her difficult choice, one no parent should have to make, sparked the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. I also remember Rosa Parks telling me that all she could think about as she sat on that bus a year later, all she could think about was Emmett Till. Emmett’s death and Mamie’s resolve only tell me that out of pain comes power. We must reject and combat those who want to edit out Black history from slavery to today. The National Action Network salutes President Biden for establishing the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Monument. At the same time, we condemn Governor Ron DeSantis’ attempts to whitewash Black stories like that of Emmitt Hill from Florida schoolbooks or his mother’s lifelong struggle to keep his memory alive.”

About National Action Network (NAN)

National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.

For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net.

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