Annetta Works Salley | Sacred Voice & Legacy

Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! Today and every day, The King Center honors the rich histories, vibrant cultures, and vital contributions of Indigenous communities. As we work toward building the #BelovedCommunity, we recognize that true peace and justice cannot exist without actively advocating for Indigenous rights. #IndigenousPeoplesDay #MLK #IndigenousRights #WorldHouse

The King Center remembers #EmmettTill. 71 years ago today, the apple of his mom, Mamie Till’s, eye was brutally dehumanized and lynched by a rabidly racist mob of white men who had been lied to by a white woman. Even if she had been telling the truth about Emmett whistling at her, the lynching of Emmett Till would have still been vile and reprehensible. A whistle inciting a murder is depravity. However, this was like many incidents today, when people know that a lie, embellishment of a misunderstanding, or reporting the presence of a Black person will facilitate violence against that person. Anti-black racism still exists. And is persisting in policies, dismissing of critical history lessons, policing, systemic barriers, and strategic, unjust efforts to weaponize the word “woke” at the expense of Black people in America. Just as the lynching of Emmett Till and his mother showing his body at his funeral were catalysts for the movement then, may his memory galvanize us now.