The final resting place of Emmett Till may soon receive national recognition as a historic site. The Burr Oak Cemetery Historic District, located in Alsip, Illinois, has been recommended for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places by the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council. This cemetery is notable not only as the burial site of Till and his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, but also of prominent figures such as singer Dinah Washington and rapper King Von.
Established in 1927, Burr Oak Cemetery spans approximately 150 acres and contains an estimated 33,000 marked graves. Among these is the flat bronze headstone of Emmett Till, who was only 14 years old when he was lynched in Mississippi in 1955. His death is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in the American Civil Rights movement, catalyzing widespread activism and change. His mother, who became a prominent leader in the movement, is also interred at the cemetery.
Burr Oak Cemetery opened during a time of significant racial opposition, as it was one of the few cemeteries in the area that served Black residents and the only one that was Black-owned and managed. The recommendation for national recognition reflects the site’s historical importance and its role in the broader narrative of civil rights in the United States.
While the recommendation usually leads to automatic addition to the National Register, the process has been delayed due to the ongoing government shutdown. Should the site be officially listed, it would join other notable locations in Illinois, such as Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace and tomb in Springfield, the Adler Planetarium, and the Carson Pirie Scott & Company store.
The potential recognition of Burr Oak Cemetery serves not only to honor the legacy of Emmett Till but also to acknowledge the broader history of Black communities and their struggles for dignity and recognition in America.
