The Obama Presidential Center will host a special evening honoring the life and legacy of Emmett Till on Friday, July 31, with “Emmett Till: The Pursuit of Happiness. An American Reckoning,” a program that combines dinner, conversation, theater and reflection in one of Chicago’s newest cultural landmarks.
The sold-out show is presented by the Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley Institute, the event commemorates what would have been Emmett Till’s 85th birthday while coinciding with the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Organizers say the evening will explore the enduring meaning of America’s promise of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” through the lens of Till’s life and legacy.
Friday, July 31, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Home Court inside the Obama Presidential Center
6121 S. Stony Island Ave., Chicago
The evening begins with a dinner prepared by a James Beard Award winning chef, followed by a conversation with the Rev. Dr. Wheeler Parker Jr., Emmett Till’s cousin and childhood best friend. Parker is the author of A Few Days Full of Trouble: Revelations on the Journey to Justice for My Cousin and Best Friend, Emmett Till and remains one of the most important living voices preserving Till’s story.
The program also features a dramatic presentation, “The Pursuit of Happiness. An American Reckoning,” bringing together actors, music and storytelling to examine Emmett Till’s lasting impact on the Civil Rights Movement and the continuing conversation about justice, equality and democracy in America.
The event also highlights the Obama Presidential Center’s growing role as a venue for arts and cultural programming. Since opening earlier this summer, the Center has hosted a broad range of performances, public conversations and civic events designed to engage visitors beyond its museum exhibitions.
Emmett Till was born on July 25, 1941, in Chicago. His 1955 murder in Mississippi at the age of 14 became a defining moment in American history after his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, insisted on an open-casket funeral in Chicago, allowing the world to witness the brutality inflicted on her son. The images helped galvanize the modern Civil Rights Movement and continue to resonate more than seven decades later.
