From Emmett Till to SNCC & Beyond: Words + Music + Art

This special fundraiser to support Highways reunites performance and visual artists from the organization’s 2005 and 2010 Emmett Till series, originally curated by foundational Highways artist Kevin Spicer. This year’s edition marks two pivotal milestones: the 70th anniversary of the murder of Emmett Till—whose brutal lynching at age 14 in Mississippi in 1955, and his mother Mamie Till-Mobley’s courageous decision to hold an open-casket funeral, ignited the Civil Rights Movement—and the 65th anniversary of SNCC (the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), the youth-led organization that organized sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and grassroots voting rights campaigns across the South.

The evening includes performances by Marc Broyard, Joyce Guy, Phyllis Bailey Brooks, Brian Freeman, and artist-activist Peggy Trotter Dammond Preacely, an original SNCC member. Special video presentations come from poet Pam Ward and writer/performer Paul Outlaw. Visual works in the Highways Gallery will feature Charles Dickson, Candace Hunter, and Toni Scott, among others. Early Bird discounts for General Admission Tickets (incl. post-show reception), as well as limited-quantity VIP tickets (which, in addition to the post-show reception, includes a pre-show reception/art showing & a listing in the Souvenir Program) are available through Sunday, September 21.