Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, who attend the wake of Emmett Till nearly seven decades ago, welcomed the establishment of a national monument commemorating the brutally slain child and his mother.
“It is painful to recall yesterday’s violence, but it is necessary so that the lessons learned in tears will hopefully prevent us from such tragedies in the future,” said Cardinal Gregory. “Emmett Till and his courageous mother Mamie offered the world a sorrowful image of a pietà in 1955. If we remember such moments from the past, perhaps there will be less possibility of a future such image.”