Please join the Center for Historical Interpretation in welcoming Elliott Gorn, who will be discussing his new book, Let the People See: The Story of Emmett Till.
Book Description
“Everyone knows the story of the murder of young Emmett Till.” In August 1955, the fourteen-year-old Chicago boy was murdered in Mississippi for having – supposedly – flirted with a white woman named Carolyn Bryant, who was working behind the counter of a store. Emmett was taken from the home of a relative later that night by white men; three days later, his naked body was recovered in the Tallahatchie River, weighed down by a cotton-gin fan. Till’s killers were acquitted, but details of what had happened to him became public; the story gripped the country and sparked outrage. Elliott Gorn delves into facets of the case never before studied and considers how and why the story of Emmett Till still resonates, and likely always will. Even as it marked a turning point Gorn shows, hauntingly it reveals how old patterns of thought and behavior linger in new faces, and how deeply embedded racism in America remains. (University Press, 2018)
Placing History in Illinois
This public lecture is part of the Placing History in Illinois series.
This year, the Department of History has turned their focus to the 200-year history of the statehood of Illinois. In addition to talks and workshops by local experts, they've invite two prominent speakers each semester to deliver public lectures illuminating the path of Illinois toward statehood and its distinctive trajectory in the following 200 years.
The audience for these events includes faculty, students, staff, and alumni, as well as members of the local community, teachers, and (through podcasts and social media) the wider public of the state and its lawmakers.
Find out more on the Placing History in Illinois webpage.
