The Chicago church where Emmett Till’s funeral was held has made the list of the United States’ Most Endangered Historic Places for 2020.
Till, 14, was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955 after he was accused of whistling at a white woman. His mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, insisted on having an open casket so mourners could see how badly he had been beaten.
Thousands of poeple lined up to pay their respects at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ. It was a key chapter in the Civil Rights movement.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation says the church has severe structural issues and “to ensure long-term viability, the building needs rehabilitation funding and partnerships.”
The church is used very little by the congregation. It was already listed as a Chicago landmark because of its association with Emmett Till’s funeral.
The Sun-n-Sand Motor Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi; the National Negro Opera Company House in Pittsburgh; Rassawek, the historical capital of the Monacan Indian Nation in Columbia, Virginia; and Ponce Historic Zone in Ponce, Puerto Rico, are some of the other places that have been added to the list of Endangered Historic Places.
