How Did Emmitt Till Contribute To The Civil Rights Movement

One of these significant events that contributed to the Civil Rights Movement was the murder of Emmitt Till. Emmitt Till, a fourteen-year-old African American male, was murdered in August 1955. Till was from Chicago, but at the time of his murder, he was visiting family in Money, Mississippi. On August 24th, Till was at a local grocery store with a group of young boys after working with his Uncle, Moses Wright. While he was at this grocery store, it is alleged that Till was dared by one of the young boys to talk to the store's cashier, Carolyn Bryant. It is alleged that Till whistled, touched, and flirted with Carolyn as he left the store. On August 28th, Carolyn's husband Roy Bryant, along with J.W. Milam, kidnapped Till at gunpoint. After kidnapping Till, the two men

According to an article by the Smithsonian: National Museum of African American History and Culture, Carolyn Bryant confessed to Duke University that the allegations of Emmett Till were completely made up. This case is significant to the Civil Rights Movement because it got the attention of thousands of African American youth. His death encouraged thousands of African Americans to fight for their rights and paved the way for other events to occur (National Museum of African American History and Culture). Another event that paved the way for the Civil Rights Movement was the march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama. On March 25, 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. led a nonviolent march to the capital of Alabama. At this time, there were already organizations there campaigning for the voting rights of African Americans. This march lasted a total of 5 days, which totaled 54 miles. The protest began at the voting polls in February in Selma, where only about 2% of voters were African Americans. Previously, there had been numerous attempts to allow more African Americans to become registered to