jan 1, 1954 - Murder of Emmett Till

Description:

A 14-year-old boy from the North, Emmett Till, is visiting his cousins in Mississippi. The boy goes to a grocery store and is accused of smiling and talking to a white woman. The woman’s husband and brother kidnap Emmett, beat him, shoot him, and dump him in the river. Emmett Till's mother holds the funeral with an open casket, which was especially heart-moving because Emmett was beaten so badly that he was unrecognizable at the funeral. The Husband and Brother were tried and acquitted.

Importance: This showed the North how bad it actually was in the South and the open casket served to further send the message home.

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