In 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till traveled from Chicago to Mississippi, where he was murdered before he could make the journey home. More than 70 years later, we invite you to consider a different possibility: What if Till had returned safely to Chicago? What might his life have become, and what would that future have required of us?

Inspired by If Emmett Till Lived: Freedom on American Ground at the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago, this dialogue brings together exhibition curator Sarah Elizabeth Lewis and artist Carrie Mae Weems, whose work is featured in both the MoCP exhibition and the Obama Presidential Center's commissioned art collection. The evening will open with remarks from Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr., Till's cousin, best friend, and the last surviving witness to his kidnapping. The evening will also feature a special musical performance by Weems.

Through photography and conversation, they'll reflect on Till's unlived life, the power of art to challenge injustice, and what it means to imagine a more just future. The exhibition catalogue will be available for purchase before and after the event.

Event schedule

• 5:30 - 6 p.m. Opening Reception (Auditorium doors open)

• 6 - 7:30 p.m. Program

• 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. Closing Reception

Image credit:

Paul Dahlquist (American, 1929–2019)

Boys at The Beach (Rio de Janeiro) , 2004

Gelatin silver print

Michael Dahlquist Memorial Collection, Museum of Contemporary Photography