EMMETT TILL INTERPRETIVE CENTER

Dr. Eddie J. Carthan

Dr. Eddie James Carthan stands as a fearless trailblazer in the American civil rights movement. At 14 years old in 1963, Carthan was arrested and jailed with Dr. King during civil rights protests at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds—a traumatic and formative experience where they were held in livestock stalls without food or water for three days. In 1975, he became the first Black person elected to the Holmes County School Board, later serving as its President, where he fought for equal resources and dignity in the classroom. In 1980, Carthan made history again as the first Black mayor of Tchula, Mississippi, since Reconstruction. In 2015, he continued his public service as the elected Supervisor of Beat 5 in Holmes County. Dr. Carthan has remained a devoted educator and mentor throughout his life, inspiring countless young people to learn their history, claim their power, and demand justice.

Dr. Edelia J. Carthan

Dr. Edelia J. Carthan is an author, activist, entrepreneur, professor, motivational speaker, mentor, life coach, and unapologetic woman of faith, whose mission is grounded in justice, education, and service. Currently, she serves as the President and CEO of Carthan Enterprises. Through this work, Dr. Carthan continues to empower communities, equip leaders, and expand opportunities for growth across Mississippi and beyond. A lifelong advocate, Dr. Carthan has been a vocal leader in the fight for civil rights, racial equity, educational justice, women’s empowerment, and systemic reform. She is the founder of Camp Fabulous, a transformative mentoring initiative for young women across the state, instilling confidence, character, and leadership skills in the next generation.

Ms. Waikinya J.S. Clanton

As the inaugural state director for SPLC, Waikinya J.S. Clanton has led the charge through the newly initiated SPLC Advocacy Institute, a community leadership program designed to strengthen and support communities by educating and empowering emerging activists and advocates. She is also an active member of the Mississippi Rapid Response Coalition, the Mississippi Donor’s Alliance, and the Mississippi Criminal Justice Funders’ table. She has over a decade of experience in public service and leadership, and she has been recognized with multiple awards, including Tougaloo College’s 40 Under 40 and the Judge Constance Slaughter Harvey Champion Award.

Mr. David J. Dennis, Sr.

David J. (Dave) Dennis, Sr., interrupted his collegiate experience during his freshman year in 1961 at Dillard University in New Orleans, LA, to work in the '60s civil rights movement in the South, particularly Mississippi and Louisiana, where he was arrested more than 30 times in relation to his activities to register disenfranchised voters. He was on the first freedom bus ride from Montgomery, AL, to Jackson, MS, in 1961. He served in both states as field secretary for CORE (Congress on Racial Equality) and co-director of COFO (Council of Federated Organizations) of the effort to organize Freedom Summer 1964. He worked closely with Mickey Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman who were murdered as Freedom Summer began. His practice of law gave way in 1991 to his work with Bob Moses and the Algebra Project, committed to the pressing need of quality education as necessary for first class citizenship.

Mrs. Reena Evers-Everette

Reena Evers-Everette, daughter of civil rights leaders Myrlie and Medgar Evers, is the executive director of the Myrlie & Medgar Evers Institute. She serves on the advisory board for the Mississippi Free Press and is a former W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network Fellow.

Dr. Susan Glisson

Dr. Susan Glisson pioneered a community-based model of truth-telling and reconciliation, first as the founding executive director of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, an internationally lauded civil rights organization, and later as the co-founder of Sustainable Equity, LLC, a consulting firm that cultivates healing and fosters fairness related to racism and difference. Her approach of community-driven dialogue and informed action has become a model for mediating between law enforcement and marginalized community members. She was instrumental in the public apology issued by Tallahatchie County to the Till family. She was recently named a Fellow in Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative, a program designed to unleash the potential of experienced leaders to help solve society’s most pressing challenges.

Dr. Mark G. Henderson

Dr. Mark G. Henderson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication Studies and Dramatic Art from Jackson State University then went on to receive a Master’s of Art in Communications and Urban Studies from Michigan State University. He received his doctorate in Speech Communication from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is the Founder/Artistic Director of MADDRAMA (Making A Difference Doing Respectable And Meaningful Art), a troupe of Jackson State University performers who tour nationally with an extensive repertoire of original plays and specialized performances that are highly requested. His mentees have appeared in film and on local, regional, and Broadway stages.

Retired Senator David Jordan

David L. Jordan was born on a Mississippi Delta plantation during the Great Depression, when segregation and poverty created a bleak outlook for a son of Black sharecroppers. Having grown up in an environment of economic hardship and racial injustice, he overcame many challenges and was educated at Mississippi Valley State University and the University of Wyoming, ultimately obtaining a master’s degree in Chemistry traveling there for three consecutive summer breaks in the late 1960s while he taught science at an all-Black Mississippi high school that had shabby, outdated lab equipment. Senator Jordan has served as a city councilman for the City of Greenwood, Mississippi, and has been an active champion of the civil rights movement. He served as a Democratic member of the Mississippi State Senate representing District 24, which covers Leflore, Panola, and Tallahatchie Counties, and served on multiple Senate committees. He retired from the Mississippi Senate in June 2025.

Ms. Pamela D.C. Junior

Pamela D.C. Junior is a renowned historian, museum leader, and cultural advocate who served as the inaugural director of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and later as director of the Two Mississippi Museums. With over 25 years dedicated to preserving and presenting Mississippi’s complex history, she retired as Director Emeritus in 2023. Previously, she led the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, creating powerful exhibitions, including the nation’s first comprehensive exhibit on Medgar Evers. Her work has earned widespread recognition, including induction into the Mississippi Tourism Hall of Fame and numerous civic awards. A graduate of Jackson State University, Pamela continues her community service through various boards and organizations and is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Dr. Joyce Ladner

With her sister, Dr. Joyce Ladner helped organize a local NAACP Youth Chapter in Hattiesburg, MS, when she was a teenager, working with civil rights icons like Fannie Lou Hamer and Medgar Evers, among others. Since then, she has continued her activism in a multitude of ways. She taught sociology at various institutions and served as Howard University’s Interim President. She has published several scholarly books, including the seminal Tomorrow’s Tomorrow: The Black Woman. She has spoken across the nation, appearing on TV and radio, and she is a member of organizations such as the American Sociological Association and the Washington’s Women Forum and Coalition.

Mrs. Juliet Louis

Juliet Mendenhall-Louis was born in Jacksonville, GA. She graduated from Kennedy King College in Chicago, IL, with an Associate's Degree
in Nursing in 1976. Currently, she is a registered Nurse. She first met Willie Louis (AKA Willie Reed) at the Jackson Park Hospital in the
early '70s where she was working as a Nurse’s Aide and he was working as a Surgery Technician. They were married on March 15, 1997 and remained together until his death on July 18, 2013. She received a Certificate of Appreciation for 20 years of dedicated service to the
La Rabida Children’s Hospital, a Certificate of Appreciation from New
Commandment Church of God in Christ, a Commendation for Courage Award from Advocates for Native Black Americans, and a Certificate
of Appreciation from Jackson Park Hospital, where she currently works.
Currently, she enjoys reading, traveling, camping and spending time with her family, especially her four grandchildren.

Mr. C. Liegh McInnis

C. Liegh McInnis is a poet, short story writer, retired instructor of English at Jackson State University, the former publisher and editor of Black Magnolias Literary Journal, and the author of eight books. He has presented papers at national conferences such as College Language Association, the National Council of Black Studies, the Neo-Griot Conference, and the Black Arts Movement Festival, and his work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. In January of 2009, he was invited along with eight other poets by the NAACP to read poetry in Washington, DC, for their Inaugural Poetry Reading celebrating the election of President Barack Obama. He has also been invited by colleges and libraries all over the country to read his poetry and fiction and to lecture on various topics such as creative writing and various aspects of African American literature, music, and history.

Mr. Charles McLaurin

A veteran of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement of the early ’60s, Charles McLaurin was recruited by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and assigned to work in the Mississippi Delta as a Field Secretary. He worked side by side with Fannie Lou Hamer in the effort to register African American voters in Sunflower County and also served as campaign manager for her Second Congressional District bid for the U.S. House of Representatives in Congress in 1963. He helped bring more than 30 volunteers as the director of the Sunflower County Freedom Summer Project, which led to the economic boycott of white-owned businesses that changed attitudes toward African Americans. He is the Chairman of the Freedom 60 Conference.

Ms. Treshika Melvin

Treshika Melvin is a strategist, facilitator, and advocate committed to

 advancing educational justice by building sustainable community power. Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, her advocacy journey began in high school when caring educators and community leaders intentionally nurtured her leadership and passion for community work—instilling in her a lasting belief in the power of community to transform society. With experience in strategy and leadership development, coalition-building, systems thinking, and policy advocacy, she has worked alongside students, families, educators, and community leaders to lead grassroots initiatives, inform education policies, and design community-based training programs that equip communities to drive systemic change. Treshika is a graduate of Jim Hill High School, Millsaps College, and Harvard University and has completed multiple state and national leadership fellowships. As founder of Just LLC, Treshika provides strategic guidance and support on program design and implementation, facilitation, and capacity development, helping organizations and communities develop and sharpen their advocacy and increase their long-term impact.

Ms. Renee Ombaba

Renee Namakau Ombaba is a dynamic force in creativity, storytelling, and transformation. As an actor, singer, and philanthropy expert, she seamlessly blends artistry with strategy, using her voice—both on stage and in business—to inspire connection, abundance, and excellence. With a background in non-profit fundraising and brand development, Renee has helped organizations grow while simultaneously building her own path as a performer and creative entrepreneur. Whether commanding the stage in opera and theater, crafting compelling narratives, or empowering others through innovative brand strategies, she is committed to using her talents to make an impact. Her mission is to live boldly, embracing joy and growth while forging her career as a full-time artist. Through storytelling, performance, and thoughtful brand-building, she is redefining success on her own terms.

Atty. Jak Smith

Attorney Jak McGee Smith graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, in 1970. He spent 8 years in the U. S. Army. He graduated from the Ole Miss Law School in 1975 and has been in private practice in Tupelo, MS, since 1978. In 1955, Smith was only seven years old when his father, Robert B. Smith III, was named as one of the special prosecutors in the trial to prosecute Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam for the murder of Emmett Till. More than 60 years later, Smith served a consultant for the ABC limited series, Women of the Movement, which follows Mamie Till-Mobley, Till’s mother, who until her death in 2003 continually fought for justice for her son through her activism. Smith has been featured in documentaries on the Till case. Currently, he has his father’s notebooks from the Till trial that contain letters and newspaper articles from that time. Attorney Smith still speaks often and with reverence about the role his father played during Milam and Bryant’s trial. He has spoken about the history of the Till case to many historical societies, groups, and organizations, planning to eventually donate his father’s materials to a museum.

Ms. Jaylin R. Smith

Jaylin R. Smith is a multimedia journalist and motivational speaker from Greenwood, Mississippi. After receiving two bachelor’s degrees in Communications from her beloved HBCU, Mississippi Valley State University, she continued her education at the University of Mississippi where she received a master’s in Journalism and New Media. Over her college career, she has written articles for the Truist Leadership Institute, Overby Center for Southern Politics and Journalism, and the Hotty Toddy website. She was also chosen as a 2024 TEDx Speaker at the University of Mississippi. Her love for diversity and community have fueled her academic and professional interests, making the Delta Region ideal for her.

Mr. Andrew Withers

Andrew “Rome” Withers is a dedicated local artist with exceptional photographic skills and the ability to capture delicate periods in time through camera lenses, combined with economic, political, and community experience.  He is the  Founder of The Ernest C. Withers, Sr. Historical Photographic Foundation and currently serves as its President & CEO. A lifelong Memphian, Withers graduated from Mitchell High School and studied Accounting & Economics at Southwest Community College before receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from LeMoyne-Owen College. He has many skills and accomplishments but none more important than having the Withers home placed on the National Register of Historic Places.