SUMMIT, Ill. (WLS) — An unlikely friendship between Emmett Till’s cousin and the descendant of a Jim Crow laws architect is sparking hope and inspiration as they share their story.
This Memorial Day weekend, a remarkable reunion took place, defying expectations.
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“I vividly recall the day Emmett was kidnapped and murdered. I was present when they took him,” said Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., Till’s cousin and pastor at Argo Temple Church of God in Christ.
Rev. Parker recently reunited with Charles Sims, whose great-great-great-grandfather, James Z. George, was a U.S. senator from Mississippi and a key figure in drafting the 1890 constitution that led to the Jim Crow laws.
“My ancestor was the principal author of the Jim Crow laws, and visiting here is something I believe was long overdue,” Sims shared.
The pair first crossed paths at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. last year. Following their meeting, Rev. Parker extended an invitation to Sims to speak at his church in Summit, an offer that Sims graciously accepted.
The two families’ histories are worlds apart and filled with pain, but Sunday was about healing.
“That’s why I’m here, I think, to show the unity in the community, to show brotherhood, and to show that we can reach across party and racial lines,” Sims said.
“Having Charles here and willing to stand up and come forth and acknowledge the wrongs, without any animosity or real hate, just to talk about history, shows how far we’ve come and how much work we still need to do,” Parker said.
Their message on Sunday is meant to inspire hope that even through divisive times, love can win.
“Love is stronger than pain, that we all have the ability to sit down to show love and bring that unity back to the community, even if it took 80 years or 150 years,” Sims said.
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