Kevin Wilson, a broadcast production major, recently presented to NC A&T SU his original play Emmett Till.

Mississippi Mourning: The Emmet Till story, gave an in depth look into the time surrounding Tills death, narrated by his mother. While in high school, Wilson became fascinated with this story. I was eager and interested to find out the truth behind his death after I found an old copy of Jet Magazine with his disfigured body in an open casket on the cover. Initially, Wilson was nervous about doing the play on campus. A&T is a hard crowd to please. They are not always as welcoming, even to their own fellow student, Wilson said. However, the well deserved standing ovation at the end of the play proved his fears futile. The first showing of the play was in April of 2009 and was brought back by popular demand in January of 2010. Wilson surprised students by bringing Tills biological cousin, Benny Marilyn, to the show. Several A&T staff members and Wilson contacted Tills family members in an attempt to invite them to the show. Marilyn returned the call and was eager to appear. Wilson was excited about the response he received at A&T. As a result of the welcoming response, he is making plans for the show to travel. After putting up a show in Durham, Wilson brought his play to New York. The former Mayor of New York, David Dinkins, was in attendance and dedicated April 10 to the play to remember and reflect the life of Emmett Till. This fall, the play will travel to several east coast cities including, Long Island, NY, Mt. Vernon, NY, and Orlando, FL. Wilsons company, Imagine2Life Studios, LLC, will also be releasing his A&T documentary, The Experience: An Aggie Life Documentary, during this years Aggie Fest. The documentary will spark pride in the students, but will also expose the bad things happening on and around the campus

Kiaira Muhammad can be reached at Kiairamuha@aol.com