Mattie Smith Colin was a seasoned reporter for the Chicago Defender when the newspaper sent her to cover the return of Emmett Till’s body. The 14-year-old Chicago native, who was visiting relatives in the Mississippi Delta, had been brutally beaten and shot for allegedly whistling at a white woman. An open casket funeral – insisted upon by Till’s mother – followed. [The Conversation]

On the morning of Feb. 2, more than 3,500 political leaders, military chiefs and corporate moguls meet for eggs, sausage, muffins – and prayer. The Washington, D.C. gathering, the 65th National Prayer Breakfast, is an opportunity for new friends and old associates, from 50 states and 140 countries, to break bread and forge fellowship in Jesus’ name.