Bill > SJR0037

This resolution declares July 25, 2025 as Emmett Till Day in the State of Illinois, commemorating the life and tragic death of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American boy who was brutally murdered in Mississippi in August 1955 after being falsely accused of interacting with a white woman. The resolution highlights the significance of Till's murder, which occurred in a climate of severe racial injustice, and notes how his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, courageously insisted on an open-casket funeral to expose the brutality of her son's killing. The resolution emphasizes that Till's murder and the subsequent acquittal of his killers by an all-white jury became a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, shocking the national conscience and inspiring generations to fight against racial discrimination. By establishing Emmett Till Day, the Illinois General Assembly seeks to recognize the historical importance of Till's life and death in the ongoing struggle for civil rights in the United States.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=37&GAID=18&DocTypeID=SJR&SessionID=114&GA=104