Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and the Kansas Humanities Bureau are pleased to present an informative evening about Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African-American boy who was brutally murdered in 1955, at the hands of white supremacists.
According to the Emmett Till Project (emmetttillproject.com), Till’s murder “broke many silences and aversions to the truth about the systematic reality of violence and oppression that was bred throughout the Jim Crow South. The murder of Emmett Till is an American story of racial injustice that continues to be replicated today.”
During the lecture, University of Kansas professor Dr. Dave Tell, author of ‘Remembering Emmett Till,’ and co-creator of the Emmett Till Project, will share the story of Till, with an insightful overview of the racial injustice that has continued in the United States since then. This year, joining Tell for the first time is journalist Mary Sanchez, who will share the story of Alvin Sykes, a local civil rights activist who investigated unsolved murder cases that took place during the Civil Rights era.
Sykes, who was self-taught, was the force behind the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, a federal law enacted in 2008. Also known as the anti-lynching act, the law establishes that lynching is a hate crime and is a violation of civil rights.
“Mr. Sykes, who passed away last March, was an exceptional man who used to visit HBHA to share stories of his Civil Rights work, and answer students’ questions. This year, we are honored to have Mary Sanchez with us to moderate and share Mr. Sykes’ story,” said HBHA faculty member R. Gina Renee, the lecture organizer and Civil Rights educator for HBHA’s Civil Rights Trip.
The educational evening was developed as part of the curriculum to help HBHA students and their cohort at University Academy prepare for their biennial Civil Rights Trip. The group of 9th and 10th graders will work together throughout the year to learn about the Civil Rights Movement. Their learning will culminate in a Civil Rights tour of the South in March 2022. However, due to the nature and importance of the subject matter, the event is open to the public.
“We are so pleased to have Dr. Tell back again. This time, with a nationally recognized journalist (Sanchez) who worked closely with Alvin Sykes to tell his story to the masses. She became a trusted colleague of Mr. Sykes, and will be able to share facts and insights about his life’s work,” said Renee.
The lecture will be followed by a Q&A session, and takes place Tuesday, November 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the Jewish Community Campus MAC Room. The event is free of charge, is open to the community, and is appropriate for high school-age students and older. Masks are required for all attendees; no registration is required to attend the event.
