The story of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955, is back in the news thanks to the big Hollywood production “Till,” which is in theaters now. But did you know that Denver once had the country’s only physical monument to Till?
According to Westword, a local bowling alley owner named Herman Hamilton had the idea for a tribute back in the ’70s. He worked with a sculptor and the city to commission a statue depicting Till walking with Martin Luther King Jr. that was installed in City Park in time for the country’s bicentennial in 1976.
Controversial from the start due to the disproportionately large size of MLK Jr.’s head, the statue was removed and eventually replaced. The original stands today at the Friendly Harbor Community Center in Pueblo after bouts of vandalism, defacement, and various stints gathering mothballs in storage.
The First Statue of Emmet Till was installed in Denver in 1976
Peyton Garcia
Officially known as “King and Companion,” this statue of Emmett Till and Martin Luther King Jr. once stood in City Park. (Denver Post / Getty Images)
Want to know what's happening in Denver? Sign up for our free newsletter, Hey Denver. Packed with local news, curated event recs, local life hacks, and more, it's your daily toolkit for getting the most out of the city you love.
