Sumner, MS

Sumner is a quiet town in the Mississippi Delta with around 300 residents. Located on the west side of the Tallahatchie River, it shares county seat duties with Charleston across the water, an arrangement left over from when crossing the river was an all-day trip. Today, the pace is slow and distinctly rural, centered on a shaded courthouse square surrounded by wide-open farmland.

ATTRformulanone from Huntsville, United States / CC BY-SA 2.0

That historic courthouse was the site of the 1955 trial following the murder of Emmett Till. Across the street, the Emmett Till Interpretive Center works with the National Park Service as part of the national monument dedicated to Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. The square gives Sumner a deep historical presence alongside its role as a quiet gathering spot for the local community.