The Murder Of Emmett Till In August 1955

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The abduction, torture, and murder of Emmett "Bobo" Till in August of 1955 was a major turning point in history that motivated the [African-American] Civil Rights Movement. When the accused, half-brothers Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam were tried and acquitted of all charges, this caused uproar in the African-American community. There were several factors that contributed to the outcome of the case, such as gender, class, and ethnicity. These factors and several others will be discussed throughout this essay. BACKGROUND OF EMMETT TILL Emmett Louis Till was born on July 25, 1941, in Chicago, Illinois, the only child of Mamie and Louis Till. He was called "Bobo" by his friends and family. Growing up, Emmett did not know his father. When Emmett was 4 years old, his father was …show more content…

According to his uncle, Moses "Mose" (Preacher) Wright: "He looked like a man. He was stocky and muscular, weighing approximately 160 pounds, and was about was about five feet four or five inches tall. DETAILS OF THE ABDUCTION AND MURDER On August 20, 1955, Mamie Till placed her son on a southbound train at Chicago Central Station for a planned trip to stay with relatives near the northern Mississippi town of Money. During the first three days of his visit, Emmett sampled life in Mississippi, and he did things such as picking cotton, shooting off fireworks stealing watermelons, and swimming in a snake-infested pond. On August 24, Emmett and 5 of his relatives and their friends, drove to Bryant's Grocery and Meat Market, just a few miles away in Money. After a few minutes in front of the store, Emmett followed one of the other boys inside the store. The other boy made his purchase, and Emmett was left alone in the store for a minute or two with Carolyn Bryant, the white woman who was working the cash register. According to testimony by Carolyn, Emmett asked her for some candy that was inside a candy