The world remembers the open casket but before the world could see Emmett Till, someone had to preserve what had been done to him. His body had been submerged, severely traumatized, decomposing, and transported through several funeral establishments before reaching Chicago.

This webinar follows the embalmers, undertakers, and funeral professionals whose work made that final viewing possible. Through trial testimony and FBI records, we will look beyond the famous photographs and into the preparation room, where preservation, evidence, race, and professional responsibility collided. Mamie Till-Bradley made the decision to show the world her son; funeral service made it physically possible for that decision to be carried out. In this case, embalming did more than delay decomposition it helped preserve evidence the nation could no longer ignore.