Christopher Benson, associate professor of journalism at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, has worked for years to preserve the story of Emmett Till. He coauthored two books with members of the Till family that counter widespread misinformation and emphasize the humanity of the child at the center one of America’s most heinous crimes.

Now, as anticipation builds around a potential new national park site honoring Emmett Till and his mother, civil rights icon Mamie Till-Mobley, host Jennifer Errick speaks with Benson on both of his groundbreaking books with the Till family, the enduring significance of this history, and the importance of uncovering and preserving the truth.

The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Vanessa Pius.

Special thanks to Alan Spears and Kyle Groetzinger.

Original theme music by Chad Fischer.

Learn more about The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute at thetillinstitute.org.

Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org.

The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.

Learn more and join us at npca.org