The Death of Emmett Till was the Catalysts to the Civil Rights Movement Till was brutally murdered for whistling at a white girl. His killers were set free by an all white jury even tho his killers admitted to killing Till. This was an eye opener to many Americans and made people anxious for change. Emmett Till’s childhood experience with racism and violent murder led to an awakening of America on the treatment of blacks. Till’s childhood forced him to face racism at an early age. Although “Emmett spent his early years in a middle-class neighborhood on Chicago's south side,” he faced many struggles (“Murder”). Back then, white middle class and black middle class were completely different. Black middle class to white people was considered poor. Since Till grew up in a mostly black neighborhood, he never learned the social rules for how races were allowed to treat one another. Till was raised by his mom, his dad was absent most the time (“Linder”). Being an only child, Till had to mature quicker. Since Till did not have a father it …show more content…
“By the 1950s, the laws that prohibited African Americans from using white streetcars, restrooms, schools, parks,restaurants, and water fountains were called Jim Crow Laws” (“Kallen”). Jim Crow laws were basically segregation laws towards blacks. Blacks were also segregated on certain parts of the bus as you may know the story of Rosa Parks. “The Ku Klux Klan was formed after the Civil War to keep blacks from benefiting from the abolition of slavery” (“Kallen”). Emmett was more than likely unaware of how to treat whites in the south. Many blacks were arrested for no reason and treated unfairly just like today. Many blacks are being killed for stealing, arguing with the police, and are being beaten for refusing to step out of their car even though the police hasn't told them why they are being pulled over, to me that is cruel and unusual