Emmitt Louis Till
By
John C Abercrombie
The life of Emmitt Till was that of a typical American youth until he was murdered in Money, Mississippi on August 28, 955, accused of whistling at a White Woman, Carol Bryant. It was an extremely brutal murder with mutilation of the body to the point that he was barely recognizable. As a matter of fact, the means of identification was a ring on his finger that had come from his father with the initials of his father, Louis Till. That ring bore the initials LT.
The conscious of America was briefly aroused at the thought of a 14 year old being subjected to such brutality. Although, unfortunately, it can not be described as the most brutal lynching of a Black in America. It can not be described as the only Black man who has lost his life because of a perceived crime of flirting or even looking at a White woman.
Reckless Eyeballing was a real thing and resulted in many horrific acts of violence, mutilation and death of an unknown number of Black men. It was a Jim Crow Law and included a Black male looking directly into a White man’s or White woman’s eyes, and included any behavior perceived as disrespectful or stepping out of one’s place. While this seems like an old concept, it has probably led to many Black men who have been killed by police and others who find the very act of looking them in the eye as threatening.
Black men have been lynched for failing to step off of the sidewalk and into the street when passing a White woman, failing to tip the hat or any other seemingly benign slight.
Before describing the incident, it is necessary to look into the life of Emmitt Till. He was remembered as a jokester who loved to make people laugh. Emmitt Till grew up in Chicago, Illinois and this is not intended to make it seem like the North was free of prejudice and systemic racism but compared to the blatant disregard for Blacks in the South, it was one heck of a lot better.
Many of the matters that may be viewed with negative feelings in the North would result in brutal acts taken openly in the South. The culture of the South allowed people to openly act like uncivilized brutes with no fear of consequences from the law or citizens.
It seems that Emmitt being a jokester was not aware of the seriousness of the rigid “Jim Crow” laws, practices and expectations in the South and after visiting the store, there are several versions of the exact events, but it generally comes down to the fact that he is alleged to have whistled at Carolyn Bryant attempting to get a laugh from his family members. They, knowing how serious the actions were immediately fled, taking Emmitt with them.
A couple of days later Bryant’s husband Roy Bryant and his half brother JW Milam went to Till’s Great uncle’s house armed and abducted the 14 year old. They beat him unmercifully, mutilated him all before shooting him in the head. The body was then tied to a heavy industrial fan with barbed wire and sunk in the Tallahatchie River where it was discovered 3 days later.
Acts such as these were a part of life for Blacks, primarily in the South and were intended to intimidate the Black community as bodies were left hanging or where they were burned. There were even industries that made money from the sale of body parts and post cards. Yes, this was barbaric but acceptable to the White community.
Many stories neglect to discuss the complicity of others in the area in these matter. For example, sheriff Strider ordered the body immediately buried. It was only through a network of friends and the frenzied actions on the part of Till’s Mother, Mamie Mobley that halted the attempt to hide the evidence of what had happened to the 14 year old Till.
The coffin bearing Till’s remained was sealed under court orders not to be opened. His mother got a crowbar and unsealed it, saying they have taken my son, what else can they take from me? It was the bold actions of his mother to unseal the coffin and her bold decision to have an open casket funeral so the world could see the brutality of the acts committed against her son.
This also demonstrates the complicity of the entire law enforcement, judicial and others in the White community to deny Blacks of all manner of dignity and avoidance of legal rights.
The effects of the Jim Crow culture so permeates the culture that when finally forced to have a trial, the all-White, all-male jury found both Roy Bryant and JW Milam innocent. After the trial which did not even convict Bryant and Milam of the kidnapping charges which they admitted to, they profited by selling the detailed story of what they had done to a national magazine for a few thousand dollars which was a large sum in those days.
Subjected to this type of activity it is necessary to recognize that there have been over 4,000 Blacks subjected to similar action, yet the legislative branch of the United States of America has been unable to make such actions a federal crime with over 200 attempts, until 2022 when a bill was passed and signed by President Joe Biden.
These facts help explain why so many are skeptical of all aspects of the law because the lives of Blacks have been disregarded so often to such an extent.
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The Murder of Emmitt Till
Mamie and Emmett Till’s early years | Let the World See E1 l Part 1
The family flees the racial violence of the south for Chicago. His father is serving in the army when Emmett’s mother receives a devastating telegram.
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Echo
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Patio, Lawn and Garden
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At 14, Emmett heads to Mississippi | Let the World See E1 l Part 2
Emmett’s mother warns him about the rules of the Jim Crow South, where violence is boiling over by the time he arrives.
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Plus Size Shorts
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Emmett breaks the rules | Let the World See E1 l Part 3
Emmett and his cousins go to a local store, where he whistles at a woman named Carolyn Bryant.
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KardiaMobil
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Diabetic Testing – One Touch
ABH – Diabetic Testing One Touch
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Emmett disappears | Let the World See E1 l Part 4Di
After white men kidnap Till in the middle of the night, his mother turns his disappearance into a national headline desperate to find her son.
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Cell Phones and Accessories
ABH – Cell Phones and Accessories
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Ambulatory Equipment
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Emmett’s body found in Tallahatchie River | Let the World See E1 l Part 5
The body is so badly damaged that Emmett can only be identified by a ring on his finger.
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Adult Wheelchair
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Mobility Scooters for Seniors
ABH – Mobility Scooter For Seniors
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Mamie Till receives closed casket with Emmett’s body | Let the World See E1 l Part 6
“Well, give me a crowbar, give me whatever. What can they do to me? They’ve taken my son,” Mamie Till-Mobley said after receiving Emmett’s remains in Chicago.
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Mother’s Day Gifts
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Flowers for Delivery – Prime
ABH – Flowers for Delivery Prime
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Warning contains graphic photos that some may find disturbing.
The Body Of Emmett Till | 100 Photos | TIME
Emmett Till was brutally killed in the summer of 1955. At his funeral, his mother forced the world to reckon with the brutality of American racism.
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The life and murder of Emmitt Till was tragic and shocked the conscious of a nation for a moment. However, it only shed light on a lingering problem and that is a disregard for the concerns of an entire race. Today we see tragic executions of Black citizens by law enforcement who should be trained in de-escalation of stressful situations. The shock is only a minor inconvenience in the mind of people not directly affected. These situations are not new with the exception of that they are being recorded. Complaints are as old as the country. It is time to come to the aid of all citizens.