Blog 7

Reverend Willie Williams is the pastor at Rollins United Methodist Church in Tutwiler, Mississippi. He has chosen to preserve Emmett Till's legacy by speaking out about Till and what happened to him at his church. He is an advocate for Till and supports his legacy. This is important for him to do because he was born in the Mississippi Delta two months after Emmett Till died and he feels as though his lineage is extremely important to him. His work is important for the broader Mississippi community because no one talked about Till when Williams was a child. He was never educated on what happened because people were afraid of being associated with Till and his family. For Williams to educate himself and try to educate others also will show the people that it is not okay to keep important legacies a secret. This could be important for me because I do not know much about the Emmett Till story and learning from Reverend Willie Williams would help me to learn more about history. 

Tyler Yarbrough is a student at the University of Mississippi. He walked through his college campus carrying a bullet-ridden Emmett Till commemorative marker and placed it at a Confederate monument. He is preserving the legacy of Emmett Till by showing people concrete evidence of what happened to Till and using it to spread awareness. This is important for Yarbrough to do because he feels that the white supremacy at the University of Mississippi needs to end and this is his way of trying to do it. This is important for the broader Mississippi community because people could see this and be emotionally provoked. This is important for me because Tyler Yarbrough is a college student, like myself. It shows me that no matter how young or old you are, you can still use your voice to make a statement. 

The space that I identified with in last week's discussion post was my local church, Athens Christian Church. I believe that I preserve the legacy of this space by serving the church and helping out. I try to do my part however I can and make relationships with others. This has meant a lot for my identity because a lot of what I do at my church and the people that I know there have helped me grow for many years and have made me into who I am. It is important for me to preserve the church's legacy in this way because the church has helped me in so many ways, so I feel as though it is my duty to help the church too. This is important for a broader community because it shows in how I treat the people around me and who the people are that are around me. In a bigger sense than the people immediately impacted by the church, it is important for me because the legacy of the church has taught me things that I will use in the rest of my life, even when I am not connected as much to the church anymore.