DeKALB — The Chicago City council declared the former home of Emmett Till a national landmark Wednesday, Jan. 27.  

Emmett Till, a Chicago teenager, was from the Woodlawn area on the Southside of Chicago. Till was brutally lynched while visiting relatives in Money, Mississippi during the summer of 1955. 

Till’s horrific death at the age of 14 was highly publicized and is said to have been a catalyst to the start of the modern civil rights movement. 

Till lived at the home with his mother Mamie Till-Mobley, who was a teacher. She passed away in 2003 at the age of 81. 

A non-profit Blacks in Green now owns the home, and there are future plans to turn the home into a museum to honor Till’s legacy. Aug. 28 will be the 65th anniversary of Till’s death. 

NIU law student Britton Johnson has worked at the Center for Black studies since 2019. Johnson was surprised and happy to learn about the Till’s home gaining landmark status and plans for a future museum. 

“A lot of people my age, in my generation and younger may not even know about (Emmett) Till, or only know about his tragic death. His childhood home will be preserved for future generations. It is extremely important for his memory to be kept alive, by not only learning about how he died but honoring how he lived,” Johnson said.