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The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute, in partnership with Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, is undergoing a collaborative effort with support from the National Trust's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and the Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project to restore and preserve Chicago’s Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ.

The first phase of restoration of Roberts Temple started in March with the removal of the 1990s-era masonry to reveal the original façade, which was visible at the time of Emmett Till’s funeral and extended visitation in 1955. Last fall, the project team conducted preliminary investigation and opened parts of the façade, which revealed the existence of original masonry and windows. The full removal has revealed significant findings, confirming the condition of the original masonry and steel and wood windows and other character defining such as painted brick and crosses. With this information, the project team will be able to finalize treatment recommendations and construction documents with restoration scheduled to begin this fall.

Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ was constructed in 1922. Its appearance at the time of Emmett Till’s funeral was the result of a renovation in 1927 and 1944. In partnership with Roberts Temple church leadership, the Till Institute and its preservation specialists (Bauer Latoza Architects, Berglund Construction), the restoration will be phased to address priority stabilization, restoration of the exterior facade and interior sanctuary, and rehabilitation of the full church and site.

On July 25, 2023, President Joseph Biden established the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. The new national monument includes the Tallahatchie County Courthouse and Graball Landing in Mississippi and Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago.

From July 25, 2023

On the last day of Black History Month, Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) reintroduced the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley and Roberts Temple National Historic Site Act (S. 562) to create a national historic site at Chicago's Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ.

In 1955, the story of 14-year-old Emmett Till’s kidnapping and murder, along with the courageous response of his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, to hold an open casket funeral for her son, catalyzed the American Civil Rights Movement.

From Sumner, Mississippi, to Chicago, sites connected to their story deserve to be protected through national monument designation.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation also supports President Biden utilizing his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate these and other sites as a national monument that honors the overlooked contributions of Black women in civil rights and provides important lessons as sites of consciousness, healing, and justice.

Add your name to those calling for the establishment of a national monument honoring Emmett Till and Mamie Till Mobley.

Yesterday, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) reintroduced "The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley and Roberts Temple National Historic Site Act" (S. 562) which would establish Chicago’s Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ as a national historic site in the National Park System. Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) joined as original cosponsors.

Civil rights activist Mamie Till Mobley was a member of Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, which was the location of the historic funeral for her 14-year-old son who, during a visit to Money, Mississippi, in August 1955, was brutally murdered for offending a white woman in a country store. The death of Till and his subsequent open-casket funeral, attended by tens of thousands of people, became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

The full press release from Senator Duckworth's office can be found here.

The National Trust placed Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ on its 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list in 2020 and has provided grants and technical assistance to restore and preserve the site. The Trust will continue our work at this historic location in partnership with members of the Till and Roberts families, The Emmett Till Interpretive Center, the National Parks Conservation Association, the Latham & Watkins LLP pro bono program, and other interests committed to the longevity of this historic landmark.

In 1955, the abduction and murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till, along with the courageous response of his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, to hold an open casket funeral for her son, catalyzed the American Civil Rights Movement. From Sumner, Mississippi, to Chicago, Illinois, sites connected to their story deserve to be memorialized in perpetuity. The National Trust for Historic Preservation believes these places can serve as a pathway for education, racial healing, and progress through national monument designation.

Since 2017, the National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has invested nearly $500,000 in grant funding for the critical stabilization of Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, along with the expansion of programming and paid staff at the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner, Mississippi and the Emmett Till and Mamie Till Mobley House in Chicago.

Add your name to those calling for the establishment of a national monument honoring Emmett Till and Mamie Till Mobley.