Emmett Till: The Movement For African American Rights

The documentary, narrative "The Lynching of Emmett Till" by Christopher Metress, tells Emmett's story of death through various points of view. On August 24, 1955, Emmett Till, a fourteen-year-old African American boy from Chicago, entered a rural grocery store of Money, Mississippi. Because the young child had been gloating about his bond with white people up north, his southern cousins had dared him to go into the store and say something to the women working the register. Emmett accepted their challenge; seconds later he was at the counter, set on purchasing two items. What he did or said next will never be known for sure, but whatever passed between these two strangers from two different worlds set off a chain reaction that would forever

“The kidnapping and savage lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till” (Chandler) is a title in the news that would surely catch your attention. Racism has played a major role in American history. It still plays in society today, but not in as much of a big case. Having somebody kill a boy because will cause a lot of fighting between the whites and the blacks. In the end, somebody is going to come out on top. But that takes a lot of sacrifice. That all ties into this, the death of a boy that caused major support to the civil rights of African Americans. The death of Emmett Till has a lasting effect on the Jim Crow opposition, court trials, and the failure of racism in American culture today.

“What else could I do he thought he was as good as any white man.” This quote by J.W. Milan, one of Emmett Till’s killers, shows how deeply ingrained racism was in the 1960’s. Emmett Till was brutally murdered at only fourteen. His heinous crime that justifies being murdered is flirting with a white woman. Emmett Till’s murder was the spark that set of the roaring fire of the civil rights movement, in the south. Emmett Till’s death was not the first step to equality but it did have an impact on the civil rights movement and motivated many later civil rights movement activists.

The murder of Emmett Till was the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. All African Americans were under attack and no African American male was safe in the South. There are many instances of African American men, women and children brutalized and or lynched by white Americans who were never held accountable for their crimes.

Emmett Till was born July 25, 1941 in Chicago ,Illinios.He was a African American.He went to McCosh Elementary School.His parents Mamie Carthan, Till-Mobley,Louis.Emmett Till nickname was bobo he grew up in a thriving middle class black neighborhood in Chicago’s south side.

There are several views of the murder of Emmett Till regarding the topic of whether or not he received justice. Emmett Till, a fourteen-year-old boy, was murdered purely based on racism, because he was killed for “wolf-whistling” at a white woman in August 1955. He was brutally murdered after being nearly beaten to death and having his eyes gouged out. When Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, two people involved in Till’s manslaughter, were placed on trial for his murder, they were pronounced innocent and did not receive any punishment. After being tortured and savagely killed, no one was held responsible for Emmett Till’s death. Emmett Till did not receive justice after his death.

After reading the intense story of Emmett Till in the Mississippi Trial, the romantic, yet engaging Pride & Prejudice, and depressing, yet confusing story of Hamlet, have taught me that you really need to look twice before you completely understand what’s happening in the novels. Thought my essay you are going to see reasons why I’m choosing to write about the three stories I listed above and how they have influenced my life and how I gained more of a perspective on the different times throughout the centuries and how they have evolved going from Emmett Till’s segregation age to Pride and Prejudice’s romance during the renaissance age to Hamlet’s Medieval Times.

Emmett Till was an 14 year old African- American boy who was brutally murdered for allegedly whistling at a white women. Emmett Till was visiting relatives in Money, Mississippi, and went into a small store, but no really knows what happened. His friends may have dared him to ask her out. Carolyn said he wolf -whistled , but he had polio as a young child ,so he was taught to whistle before he’d say a hard word.His friends did hear him say ‘bye baby’ , Carolyn was insulted and told her husband. He was kidnapped, tortured, and killed by J.W. Miliam and Roy Bryant. They gouged out his eye ,threw him in the river, and they were not guilty of this crime. His body couldn’t be identified , tied his body to a cotton gin, and they kidnapped him. Emmett

Emmett Till was a fourteen year old African American boy who was brutally beaten and murdered for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Emmett Till was from Chicago, Illinois and went to visit his uncle and cousin in Money, Mississippi(all). He had polio as a child which caused him to have a stutter. He lived in a working class neighborhood. Chicago was not so segregated. Money, Mississippi, however, was very segregated. He was killed by the woman;s husband and brother in-law. His friends dared him to ask the white woman out. She alleged that he made lewd advances and that he sauntered out of the store. Her husband and brother in-law gouged out his eye, shot him in the head, and tied him to a cotton gin fan. Emmett Till was a young teenager

On August 28th, 1955 in Money, Mississippi 14 year old Emmett Till was murdered by two white men, Roy Bryant and his brother in law J.W. Milam. Emmett was murdered for allegedly flirting with Roy Bryant’s one of the men’s wife. Without any hesitation the two men killed him.

    Dictionary.com defines racism as being, “The discrimination of a particular race, based on the belief that one’s race is superior.”  Nowhere in this definition is brutal murder and malicious beatings mentioned. However, these terrible crimes were committed on an innocent boy by the name of Emmett Till. When news spread of the killing, the greatest civil rights movement in our nation’s history was sparked. Emmett’s death was not by any means deserving or just, but it turned the talk of civil rights, into action.

Although many believe that racism and segregation have declined over the years, The Washington Post notes, in a 2016 analysis, that black Americans are 2.5 times as likely as white Americans to be shot and killed by police officers (Lowery). In the 1930s and 1950s, Tom Robinson, Emmett Till, and the nine Scottsboro boys were sentenced to death after facing an all-white jury for a crime they did not commit. In 1931, nine, young, unemployed, black men were falsely accused of raping two white women, Ruby Bates and Victoria Price. Their sentence to death after facing an all-white jury sparked rallies and parades, which successfully changed the unfair verdict of their trial. Similarly, a fourteen-year-old boy named Emmett Till was unjustly murdered after allegedly whistling at a white store owner, Carolyn Bryant. A few days later, he was found in a nearby river, and his mother arranged for a public funeral to expose the racial prejudice her son faced in Mississippi. The perpetrators were acquitted of all charges when tried in front of an all white jury. In the Scottsboro incident, the Murder of Emmett Till, and To Kill a Mockingbird, innocent men were victims of the society’s racial prejudice and convicted of crimes they did not commit.

Emmett till was born July 25,1941 he was 14 year old boy.His mother sent him to Mississippi to see his family.While there he saw a white women go bye while he was with his friend’s he called the white women out of name.He said”hey baby” to the white women she told her half brother, husband and two of their friends.Outside the house of his uncle the four men kidnapped beat and killed Emmett Till.One month later on September 23, 1955 the body was found and the four men was put on trial for murder of Emmett Till and a all whit jury found them guilty of murder.

The Blood of Emmett Till is a novel written by Timothy B. Tyson. The novel is based on true events during 1955 targeting issues like racism, injustice, and destruction of innocence. The story is about a 14 year old boy name Emmett Till, who was accuse of sexaul assuliting a girl name Carolyn Bryant. However, Emmett didn’t assault her, but because he is black, and she was white, her husband and step brother kidnap Emmett and shot him and left his dead body in a river. The book continues when the husband and the step brother was in trial and found not guilty, due to the fact that the jury is white. The book concludes when during Carolyn testimony, she tells the truth about Emmett, and the husband and step brother was found guilty, but they commited suicide. Carolyn was influenced by race.

Racial and religious discrimination has become more severe throughout the years. Emmett Till born July 25, 1941 in Chicago. At age 14 Emmett is staying with his great uncle for the summer in Mississippi (pbs.org). Couple days in his vacation Emmett is accused of whistling at Carolyn Bryant (a young married white women). Feeling disrespected she ran to her car and withdrew a shotgun to threaten and/or kill him. But, Emmett had already gotten away before she could take action (usa.today). Days later he was kidnapped and brutally beaten then shot in the head and thrown in the river with a 75-pound cotton gin fan attached to him. Justice was not served. Even though the men were arrested, before consulting the case the jury was told if they