2 minute read
Freedom Now: Civil Rights In Mississippi
FREEDOM NOW:
Civil Rights in Mississippi
Benjamin Saulsberry speaks to Jackson Prep students about the legacy of Emmett Till and the work of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center
RYAN SHERMAN
I am glad that Mr. Saulsberry came to visit Prep. He opened my eyes and helped me understand the process of the Emmett Till case that we were discussing in class.
TAYLA WILSON 10th grader ❞
Anna Griffin’s Civil Rights course spent time discussing the murder of Emmett Till in 1955 in Money, MS. As a result, Ryan Upshaw communicated with the Emmett Till Interpretive Center, located in Sumner, to help bring some additional historical perspective to the conversation.
Benjamin Saulsberry, the center’s public engagement director, agreed to visit Prep in person to shed more light on the story of Emmett Till and the continued work of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center. Lawrence Coco’s Introduction to American Jurisprudence course was invited to hear Saulsberry’s talk as well. Students had the opportunity to hear the story of Emmett Till and understand more about his family’s impact on the Civil Rights movement. Students took time to engage with Saulsberry and ask questions to learn more about Till’s story and overall legacy.
Benjamin Saulsberry is a native of West Tallahatchie County, MS. He grew up surrounded by social justice activism, for which he credits his deep care and concern for his community today. Ben joined the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in 2016 and has spoken on race, racism, and racial reconciliation across the country on behalf of the Center, including at Harvard Law in 2017 and the University of Detroit at Mercy in 2019. He studied music as an undergraduate at Mississippi Valley State University and a graduate at the University of Mississippi.
RYAN SHERMAN
From left: Veronica Chough, Landon Miller, Benjamin Saulsberry, Tayla Wilson, Rebecca Stafford, Amisha Madakasira, and Marilee Cleveland
It was great to have a speaker like Mr. Saulsberry come to Prep. His talk was very informative and expanded the knowledge I already had on the case.
AMISHA MADAKASIRA 10th grader ❞
BY ANNA GRIFFIN
Civil Rights Teacher
Our Civil Rights class always begins with John Lewis’s last OP Ed which was published on the day he died. In it, he mentions that Emmett Till’s death awakened in him a need to do something to fight for equal justice. Emmett Till’s death was a place to begin discussions about Mississippi’s troubled past regarding racial inequality and injustice. We read about Till, watched videos, and even listened to Bob Dylan’s “Ballad of Emmett Till.”
We were honored to have Mr. Saulsberry come speak to us about Till. He was able to narrate the entire, horrible event in a way that made our students see and understand what happened on the night a 14-year-old child was killed by a group of white men. Saulsberry went on to speak of the trial and aftermath of the events on the lives of all participants.
What was most interesting to me and my class was the formation of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center as a way to address the evils of the past with a spirit of reconciliation. Mr. Saulsberry really engaged our students—it was clear how passionate he was about his work. I am so glad he was able to visit and interact with our students.
RYAN SHERMAN
