Keith Beauchamp & Fred Zollo | Uplifting Communities Through the Art of Storytelling

The Lesson: 

A dog-eared moment in the early American Civil Rights movement, the racially-motivated murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American child, and its subsequent acquittal, always inspired Keith Beauchamp to fight for better criminal justice, and to elevate man's consciousness so that such events no longer need dog-earing because they no longer happen. Frederick Zollo, catching Keith's infectious enthusiasm, felt he could lend his talents to a similar end. 

Notable Excerpt: 

"She [Emmett's mother] used to say to me all the time, Keith we must continuously tell Emmett's story until man's consciousness is risen, only then will there be justice for Emmett Till. I truly believe that she had the blueprint to man's liberation when it comes to racial progression in this country."

The Guests:

Frederick Zollo is an American film and theatre producer. He has produced more than 100 plays in New York, London, and On-Tour. Zollo is a 20-time Tony nominee, winning the award seven times. He is also known for his film work on Best Picture Oscar Nominees Mississippi Burning (1988), and Quiz Show (1994). 

Keith A. Beauchamp is an activist and award-winning filmmaker. He began his life’s work at the young age of 10 after he saw a Jet magazine that contained a picture of Emmett Till’s dead body and was told the story behind Till’s murder. In 1999, Beauchamp founded Till Freedom Come Productions, a company devoted to socially significant projects that can both teach and entertain. He has devoted the past twenty-six years of his life telling the story of Emmett Till and has traveled extensively between New York, Chicago and Mississippi to investigate the historic murder.

On May 10th, 2004, the United States Department of Justice re-opened this 50 year-old murder case citing Beauchamp’s documentary “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till” as both a major factor in their decision and the starting point for their investigation.

Keith Beauchamp has been featured on '60 Minutes', ABC World News Tonight 'Person of the Week,' Court TV, MSNBC, 'Good Morning America,' CNN, BBC as well as in hundreds of publications around the world including

He is currently the producer of the feature film “Till,” which is being co-produced by Frederick Zollo, Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Broccoli. Beauchamp is also a frequent lecturer at colleges and universities around the count

Episode Resources:

Keith Beauchamp | Twitter

Keith Beauchamp | Instagram

Emmett Till | Documentary