FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Why does ETIC ownership matter?

The current owner preserved the barn by not tearing it down, but he also used it for storage. It was never treated as a historic or sacred place. By transferring ownership to the Emmett Till Interpretive Center, the site moves from private use to protective ownership.

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Without protective ownership, the site could be sold, exploited, or misrepresented. Owning the property ensures its protection, integrity, and reverence. Ownership allows us to safeguard it for public memory rather than private gain — to guarantee that what happened here is told truthfully and respectfully for generations to come.

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Who owns it now?

The Emmett Till Interpretive Center will hold the title, stewarding the property on behalf of the public. ETIC has spent more than two decades preserving Till history and partnering with the National Park Service, ensuring ethical and community-based care.

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Why not just let it fall down?

Because erasure is a form of violence.

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Doing nothing would allow a sacred witness to collapse, repeating the silence that followed Emmett Till’s death. Preserving the barn transforms a site of harm into a place of truth and healing — ensuring future generations can stand where history happened and ask how far we’ve come.

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Why ETIC?

For nearly two decades, ETIC has built trust in the Delta through local partnerships, community dialogue, and truth-telling rooted in care.

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ETIC’s ownership ensures the site remains in the hands of a mission-driven, community-based organization with a track record of ethical stewardship and commitment to public access and education. Our role is not possession, but protection — serving as caretakers on behalf of the community and the nation.

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How is the Till family involved?

The lived experience of the Till family — and of those who bore witness to the horror of 1955 — remains a core value for our organization.

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ETIC’s work has always been shaped by the truth, courage, and moral vision of the Till family, especially Mamie Till-Mobley’s charge that “let the world see.”

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Every major decision — including the stewardship of the barn — is guided by that calling: to ensure the world continues to see, to learn, and to act toward justice.

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We will continue to listen to and engage family members, descendants, and community elders as we transform this site of trauma into a sacred space for remembrance, healing, and collective conscience.

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Why now?

The 70th anniversary of Emmett Till’s murder and Mamie Till-Mobley’s courage has renewed public attention. The barn is fragile and at risk of collapse; waiting any longer could mean losing the site forever. Acting now ensures it is preserved for generations.

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Is this part of the National Park?

No. The barn will be stewarded for the public by the Emmett Till Interpretive Center and like-minded partners. It complements the Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, and ETIC will continue to work closely with the National Park Service to ensure the site aligns with the broader constellation of sacred spaces dedicated to truth and remembrance.

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What was the financial cost?

We did not want to have to pay for sacred ground. We understand that many other people also feel that even one dollar is too much to pay for a site where such deep harm occurred. It’s an obstacle we wrestled with every step of the way.

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We explored every possible alternative to purchase, including asking for the owner to donate the property and exploring legal options including easements and eminent domain, but none were viable.

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The turning point came when we asked ourselves: What happens if someone else buys it? We could not risk this site — one of the most sacred in American history — falling into the hands of speculators or even hate groups. The barn is simply too important to leave to chance.

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In the end, our board voted to pay the $1.5 million that was necessary to protect the site. We chose preservation over risk, and truth over silence — because you can’t put a price on our history. That ability to tell our story accurately is invaluable.

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Who funded the purchase?

Private philanthropy led this effort — including leadership support from the Rhimes Family Foundation — demonstrating national confidence in ETIC’s stewardship and mission. No public funds were used.

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What happens next?

Before the site can fully open to the public, we need to perform the following:

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1. Stabilization and preservation — immediate structural protection to prevent further deterioration.

2. Community engagement and design — guided by descendants, local leaders, and national partners.

3. Interpretation and access — developing a plan for the barn as a site of learning, remembrance, and reflection.

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This is a multi-year process leading toward a permanent memorial and integration into the national monument network.

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What is our highest hope for the barn?

That it becomes a sacred site of conscience where truth is protected, history is honored with courage, and people are moved toward healing and repair. By preserving the place where Emmett Till was lynched, we ensure the realities of 1955—and the resilience of Mamie Till-Mobley—are remembered with dignity.

 

We hope this ground helps people confront the human cost of injustice, recognize that attacks on dignity endanger democracy, and experience the power of narrative to change hearts and minds. Ultimately, our highest hope is that this place turns shared pain into understanding, action, and a future rooted in justice, dignity, and shared humanity.