Emmett Till, national monuments, and teaching Black history

Last week, President Joe Biden announced plans for new monuments to honor Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie. They will be erected in Mississippi where Till was murdered and at the church in Chicago where Till was laid to rest.

The designations come as states across the country are restricting how Black history can be taught in schools. At least 44 states have introduced legislation that would restrict how teachers discuss racism and racial issues in the classroom.

We assemble a panel of guests to discuss how the murder of Emmett Till catalyzed the civil rights movement, what significance these new national monuments hold, and why the teaching of Till’s story could be under threat.