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The Power of Collective Action
Like many growing up in Tallahatchie County in the 1950s and '60s, Jerome "G." Little didn't know that Emmett Till's history was intimately connected to his hometown. Returning after military service, Little organized in 1977 with six other Black men to address structural racism that limited African American access to water, employment, housing, healthcare, voting rights, and education. Their political agenda included preserving Black history.
Known as the "Magnificent Seven," they used the power of collective action over two decades to do what seemed impossible. They sued the county three times to force redistricting and create pathways for Black representation.
As a newly elected county official, Little founded the Emmett Till Memorial Commission. The group sought to save the local courthouse, to support the town, and establish a community center, to support the town's Black residents. Millions have gone to renovate the courthouse; the community center remains unfunded. |