Chair

Bertha Thomas is the granddaughter of Crosby Smith, Sr., the younger brother of Alma Spearman, Emmett’s Grandmother, and Uncle to Mamie Till Mobley.

She is a Senior Paralegal and Realtor with more than 30 years of experience working within the legal industry and/or community. Her central focus has been working with Real Estate Law, Immigration Law, Personal Injury and Workers Compensation Law.

Senior Advisor & Project Manager

Christopher Benson is a journalist, lawyer and professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He is co-author, with the late Mamie Till-Mobley, of Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America (2003), the award-winning memoir of Emmett Till’s mother that was later adapted into a six-part television series. His most recent book, A Few Days Full of Trouble (2023), co-authored with Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., examines the final FBI investigation into Emmett Till’s murder.

A former radio reporter in Chicago and Washington Editor for Ebony magazine, Chris has earned numerous journalism honors, including Peter Lisagor Awards and regional Emmy Awards. His reporting on the wrongful conviction of Anthony Dansberry contributed to Dansberry’s release after 23 years in prison.

Chris holds B.S. and M.S. journalism degrees from the University of Illinois and a J.D. from Georgetown University. As Senior Advisor to the Till Institute, he helps develop educational programs, public initiatives, and strategic partnerships that advance the Institute’s mission.

Board Member

Mike Small and Mamie Till-Mobley became close friends and advocates in telling the Emmett Till story to junior high and high school students. As a high school teacher and administrator, Small has led student groups and taught the Emmett Till story in both Till’s hometown of Chicago and the location of his murder in Mississippi for over twenty years.

Small is a lifelong educator with a passion for social justice. He is committed to recounting his friend, Till-Mobley’s, brave story as part of his lectures on racial justice throughout the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and Australia. He also serves on the board of the Emmett Till Memorial Commission and Museum Committee.

General Counsel

Lester Barclay, the CEO and founder of the Barclay Law Group and author of the infamous family law book “Divorce and Drama” (save money, time, and relieve stress by just getting along), is legendary in the field of family law and within other practices. His 36 years of practice and experience, coupled with his uncanny knack for stellar performance within the courtroom, makes him an ideal attorney for the more sophisticated cases related to family, estate law, real estate, and more.

Secretary/Treasurer