American educator and activist who became known as she was the mother of Emmett Till. After the murder of her son, she became a public speaker and activist, working closely with the NAACP. She and her son were posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal which was put on display at the Museum of African American History. She died of heart failure in 2003, and the monument dedicated to her says "Her pain united a nation". Her family moved from the south to the north of the United States during what is known in history as the Great Migration. Following her parent's divorce when she was 13, she focused heavily on academics and was the first African American student to make the honor roll at Argo Community High School.
