Sculpture of Mamie Till-Mobley.

Statue of Emmett Till's Mom

A statue of the mom of someone newsworthy is unusual, but in the end Mamie Till-Mobley had a greater effect on U.S. history than her son. At age 14 Emmett Till was murdered by a white mob in Mississippi. Mamie held a funeral for Emmett with an open casket, revealing his battered body, which helped spark the Civil Rights movement.

The bronze sculpture, by Sonja Henderson, shows Mamie standing next to a lectern whose three sides, wrapped around Emmett's photo, depict his short life: boyhood, murder spot, funeral. It stands outside Argo Community High School, which was Mamie's alma mater.

The life-size Mamie is modeled from photos taken when she spoke at Emmett's funeral. Her right hand rests on a copy of the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, passed by Congress in 2022.

The statue was unveiled on April 29, 2023.

Mom-uments Map

Mom-uments: America's Tributes to Mothers: Find more like this in our roadside roundup map of Mom-uments

Statue of Emmett Till's Mom

Argo Community High School

Address:: 7329 W. 63rd St., Summit, IL
Directions:: Outside Argo Community High School, on the southeast corner of W. 63rd St. and 74th Ave.

Nearby Offbeat Places

Frankenmufflerman, Burbank, IL - 2 mi.

World's Largest Stained Glass Window, Justice, IL - 1 mi.

20-Foot-Tall Pope, Justice, IL - 2 mi.

In the region:

Begin Route 66 Sign, Chicago, IL - 12 mi.

More Quirky Attractions in Illinois

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in Illinois.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.