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African American Murders in Mississippi
Prior to Emmett Till's death on August 28th, 1955, it was noted that two African Americans were murdered in Mississippi (one murder occurred on May 7th, 1955, and the other on August 13th, 1955). One of the victims was involved in the NAACP. The two individuals were showing their support for African American voting rights and were killed after attempting to cast their votes. Despite having the right to vote, Mississippi was against the idea of allowing black people to participate in voting. -
Emmett Till's Murder
Emmett Till was a fourteen-year-old African-American boy from Chicago. On a visit to Mississippi to spend time with his family, he was abducted, mercilessly tortured, killed, and dumped into a river by two white men after allegedly whistling at/or flirting with a white woman who was connected to them. Later in time (in 2017), the woman who accused him of whistling/flirting would take back her statement, admitting that she lied. -
Emmett's Murder Breaks the News
Seldom did a murder of an African American make such headlines, "there was widespread condemnation of the killing of Emmett Till, both in Mississippi and across the nation. Roy Wilkins, head of the NAACP, calls Till's killing 'a lynching'" (UMKC School of Law, n.d.). From then on, the NAACP became advocates for his case.
Reference:
UMKC School of Law. (n.d.). The Emmett Till Murder Trial: Chronology. Famous Trials. Retrieved from https://famous-trials.com/emmetttill/1759-chronology. -
The Profound Impact of Emmett Till's Funeral
Emmett Till's mother chose to have an open-casket funeral for her son's mutilated body, stating that she wanted the world to see what had happened to him. Fifty-thousand people showed up to his viewing- her decision to hold his funeral in this manner resulted in sparking acts of activism that led more people to talk about starting a Civil Rights movement. -
Black Publicists on Spreading the Word
Two black publicists shared images of Emmett Till's funeral. The intent behind this was to build up more recognition on his case and not let it get away from the nation's attention. By the date of the trial held against his murderers, protests occurred due to the widespread fear of such occurrences happening to more African Americans and their family members/friends/neighbors, etc. -
Mississippi Civil Rights Activists Join Together for Till's Murder Trial
Mississippi Civil Rights activists from the NAACP gathered to search for black witnesses that were willing to speak out at Till's murder trial, an activist leader, "Dr. T. R. M. Howard was already well known in Mississippi for his activism. During the trial, Howard extended this protection to the witnesses present" (PBS, n.d.).
Reference:
PBS. (n.d.). The Impact of Emmett Till's Murder. PBS. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/emmett-impact-emmett-tills-murder/. -
The Trial of J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant
J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant went to trial for the murder of Emmett Till. The jury was entirely white and ultimately ruled that they were not guilty of Emmett's death. One of the black witnesses who spoke at the trial was Emmett's uncle, Moses Wright, who bravely stood his ground against the jury. During the Civil Rights movement, Moses Wright would serve as a major source of inspiration to others for standing their ground as well. -
NAACP Tour to Spread Word on Emmett's Death and Civil Rights
International distress followed the trial verdict. The NAACP decided to "organize mass demonstrations nationwide under the auspices of local branches with Emmett Till’s mother as the featured speaker" ("The Civil Rights Era", 2009). She was sometimes accompanied by other advocates who spoke out on matters involving federal civil rights.
Reference:
The Civil Rights Era. Library of Congress. (2009, February 21). Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/naacp/the-civil-rights-era.html. -
Nation Outrage over the Trail Verdict on Emmett Till's Murder
Upon the verdict declaring the murderers of Till as not guilty, "hundreds of thousands of people, mostly in northern cities, attend NAACP sponsored rallies protesting the verdict in the Till murder trial. In Mississippi, however, membership in segregation-supporting White Citizens' Councils skyrockets" (UMKC School of Law, n.d.).
Reference:
UMKC School of Law. (n.d.). The Emmett Till Murder Trial: Chronology. Famous Trials. Retrieved from https://famous-trials.com/emmetttill/1759-chronology. -
The Montgomery Bus Boycott and Onwards
The situation involving Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott was influenced by Till's murder as Rosa Parks had Emmett in mind when she refused to give up her seat on the bus. The NAACP then chose her as their representative and thus officially began the Civil Rights movement. The other grassroots that would eventually take flight during the Civil Rights movement would go on to call themselves the Emmett Till Generation. Martin Luther King Jr. would also bring up Emmett in his speeches.
