Emmett Till was a African American teenager who’s lynching had incredible significance to America. Born in Chicago in 1941. While living in Chicago he experienced a life that was drastically different than that of an African American in Mississippi. He went to school, had friends and generally lived without fear for his life. But when Till visited Money, Mississippi in 1955, he was introduced to a world where African Americans had almost no freedoms or rights and lived by a certain code established in order to survive amongst their white neighbors. “Ah, it is, ‘yes, ma’am, and ‘no ma’am’, ‘yes, sir’ and ‘no, sir.’ And, Beau if you see a white woman coming down the street, you get off the sidewalk and drop your head. Don’t even look at her.’ Emmett Till broke …show more content…
A few days later, Roy Bryant and his friends found Till, kidnapped him and beat him. They killed him, tied him up and threw him into the river, where his body was fished out three days later. His story was already becoming a front page news across the nation when his mother decided to hold an open casket funeral for her son. She told friends that she was not afraid of seeing her son so brutally beaten and wanted to show the world what had happened to Emmett Till. After the funeral, there was a national outcry to bring the murderers to justice. The trial of Roy Bryant and his cousin J.M Milam was followed by major newspapers across the nation. During the trial, witnesses stood up and spoke in Till’s defense. They overcame their fear of retaliation and pointed their fingers directly at the men who did it. But it wasn’t enough- Bryant and Milam were acquitted due to lack of ID on the body. But the damage was done. African Americans in Money, Mississippi boycotted the Bryant’s store which caused it to go under. The story of Emmett Till, his brutal murder and his brave mother spread across the country and the world. It drew the eyes of many to the rights and living conditions of African Americans in the deep