Director Chinonye Chukwu (Clemency) travels back to the 1950s to tell the story of Mamie Till-Mobley, the Chicago woman whose son, Emmett Till, was lynched while visiting cousins in Mississippi and whose body became an indelible image of the horrors of American racism. Employing a direct, unflinching, yet sensitive gaze, Chukwu has created the definitive drama of this woman's grief and resilience, and in an astonishing performance, Danielle Deadwyler captures both a mother's indescribable heartbreak and her inspiring ascension to the role of civil rights activist. Till is a momentous reminder of an ever-present tragedy, featuring painstaking production design, subtly expressive camera framing and composition, and a note-perfect supporting cast, including Sean Patrick Thomas, Jalyn Hall, Tosin Cole, John Douglas Thompson, Frankie Faison and Whoopi Goldberg.

D: Chinonye Chukwu, US, 2022, 2h10m

Fri, 1/20: Discussion follows with Deborah Watts, Emmett Till's cousin and co-founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, moderated by Prof. Vievee Francis.
Sun, 1/22: A recording of Friday's Q&A follows.

Programmed in conjunction with Dartmouth College's Martin Luther King, Jr celebration, with support from the Departments of African and African American Studies, English and Creative Writing; Film and Media Studies, and History; the Ethics Institute; the House Communities; the Shabazz Center for Intellectual Inquiry; the Office of the Provost; the Leslie Center for the Humanities; and the Office of the Associate Dean for International and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Special thanks to Prof. Trica Keaton for leading the collaboration around this event.

More about special guest Deborah Watts More about special guest Deborah Watts

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Deborah Watts is the Co- Founder and Executive Director of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation (ETLF)and Emmett Till Institute for Learning and Leadership (E-TILL)

After a 20 plus year career in corporate America, Deborah is an author, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and a passionate women and youth empowerment, civic engagement, civil rights and social justice advocate. She is a powerful driving force ensuring that time will always remember her cousins, Emmett Louis Till, his mother Mamie Till Mobley, their legacy and the historical/current, unjust societal conditions and violence that caused his death and impact the lives of other black men, women and youth today. She is using her global platform to engage and collaborate with other activists, social justice organizations, faith, business and civic leaders, policy makers, educators, families, and students all across the country to affect change and make a difference in the lives of others. Through her leadership with ETLF, Deborah, their dynamic team and ambassadors are "creating a legacy of hope" and building an important bridge from the past to the present and future by providing opportunities, scholarships and programs, that educate, equip, inspire and empower youth, women and their families for a better future.