The Murder of Emmett Till - Essay Example

Student’s Name: Professor’s Name: Subject: Date: THE MURDER OF EMMETT TILL The Murder of Emmett Till is one of the most popular cases that shaped the American civil rights evolution, more so that of the African Americans. Over the years, the African Americas have continuously fought for their civil rights. In the course of these fights some standout experiences came to happen that eventually shaped the course of civil rights struggle in the U.S (Whitaker 189-224). This paper, therefore, seeks to highlight the occurrence in the popularized case; Murder of Emmett Till, which shaped up the struggle for civil rights for the African-American community in the U.S. In August 1955, Emmett Till a 14-year-old teenager is claimed to have travelled from his hometown in Chicago to Mississippi for a casual visit to his uncle. His mother is claimed not to have advocated for the visit; she is claimed to have tried severally to talk her son out of the idea of visiting his Uncle in Tallahatchie County in Mississippi. However, his son was determined to visit his uncle. His mother was concerned for the well-being of her son. Despite, the decision by the Brown v. Board of Education being made the previous year, it was still not safe for people of black complexion especially if you resided in the Deep South("Emmett Till and the Mississippi Press" 46-0104-46-0104). This was a clear indication that the decision by the Brown v. Board of Education was not being implemented fully and attainment of equal rights for all was a far-fetched idea among African Americans in the U.S. This is evident when Emmett Till’s mother’s fears for his visit to Mississippi. The oppression of the Black community in America is further revealed by the livelihood of Emmett Till’s mother. It is claimed that she lived in a rural county which was swampy and infested by snakes thus non conducive for human residence. As her son was embarking on his Journey to Mississippi, his mother cautioned of his new environment. She stressed on him, on how to be humble even if it meant going down on his knees. This shows the extent to which the African Americans were subjected to oppression. It is evident that the African Americans who experienced this oppression had no option other than oblige. As revealed by the words of Emmett Till’s mother while testifying in court on the murder of her son, she believed her son was not prepared for the oppression he encountered in Mississippi. Thus, it’s evident that Mississippi was considered to be a place where oppression of the African American community thrived most due to the huge number of whites living there (Janelle Collins 653-656). In his visit to Mississippi Emmett Till is said to have gone to the county store in Money accompanied by some friends and his cousins. Being a joker, Emmett Till bragged to his cousins and friends that back at home he had a white girlfriend. His cousins and friends who were African Americans did not buy his story hence; they dared him to flirt with the woman sitting behind the store and ask her for a date. This further shows a poor personality perception among African Americans who consider themselves as lesser beings and not in the same league as Caucasians. Emmett Till on being dared went into the store to buy some candy no one actually knows what transpired while he was in there but as he walked out he was heard saying “Bye, baby” to the white woman in the store("Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked The World And Propelled The Civil Rights Movement" 53-3182-53-3182). However Carolyn Bryant, the white woman in the store later claimed in the court of law that Emmett Till made sexual advances to her and on ignoring him he grabbed her and said “Bye, baby” as he strolled out. The woman’s husband, Roy Bryant returned back from a business trip and when his wife narrated to him what happed he furiously stormed out and drove to Till’s uncle accompanied by his brother in law J.W Milam. Despite Till’s uncle pleading with them to spare his nephew, they forced Till into the car and drove off. It is claimed that they took Till to a tool house near Milam’s residence where they beat him to near death. It’s further claimed that the two white men then gouged out one of his eye before shooting him in the head and dumped his body in the Tallahatchie River. After four days Till was still missing, Roy Bryant and J.W William were arrested since they were the last people seen with him. However on the fifth day Till’s body was found floating on Tallahatchie River. It is claimed that the body was unrecognizable due to the injuries. Till’s uncle could only recognize the body since he was fond of wearing an initialized ring (Kolin 392-406). The news of the murder caught the nation’s attention and prominent African American officials were the first to rebuke the murder terming it as "barbarity of segregation” on the other hand the NAACP's labeled the murder as a lynching. At first the judges distanced themselves from the case however five prominent lawyers offered their services to Milam and Bryant. This was followed by a show of support by the white officials who had earlier rebuked the murder. The prosecution faced an even immense task of finding witnesses who were willing to testify against Milam and Bryant. This was difficult since it was unheard of for a black to testify against a white in Mississippi. This further reveals how the African Americans were tied with chains of oppression mentally (Tisdale 39-58). On the other hand, the claim that Mississippi was being hugely popular with oppression of the blacks is also revealed in this case. Emmett’s uncle finally gained courage and volunteered to narrate to the court what he witnessed. He pointed out Milam and Bryant as the men who took away his nephew that fateful day. The other African Americans also gained courage after Till’s uncle had testified and also narrated their encounters to the court of law. However, they later had to hurry out of the state in fear that they would be assassinated by the whites for testifying against their own. This is a clear indication on how severe oppression was and how inconsiderate the whites where when handling African American matters("Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement" 53-3182-53-3182). In the long end, the incredible courage of these blacks was dashed; reason being testifying against the White did not make a difference back then. The jury, made up of Caucasians came to the conclusion that Milam and Bryant were not guilty of any offence. They argued that the evidence provided to the court of law by the state on how the body was identified is not fully convincing. This shows the extreme extent in which the oppression against the Black American had taken shape at that time in America. This is perfectly revealed in the statement by the defense attorney when he claimed that if Milam and Bryant are found guilty the fathers of the African Americas will turn over in their graves and their fate is in the hands of these blacks seeking justice for Till (Whitaker 189-224). These bizarre claims by the defense attorney, reveals how African Americans were looked down upon by the Caucasians. The inhuman act committed by Milam and Bryant is unspeakable and the court of law being a justice delivery body it is expected to fairly decide the case. However due to the oppression which the blacks were being subjected to it failed to carry out its roles as expected. This case as evidently revealed shaped up the early civil right struggle in America. In the sense that justice was being denied even the courts of law and thus massive demonstrations were the order of the day back then. Thus this murder is significantly relevant when referring to Black American struggle for their civil rights. Reference "Emmett Till And The Mississippi Press". Choice Reviews Online 46.01 (2008): 46-0104-46-0104. Web. "Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked The World And Propelled The Civil Rights Movement". Choice Reviews Online 53.07 (2016): 53-3182-53-3182. Web. Janelle Collins,. "Emmett Till In Literary Memory And Imagination (Review)". Callaloo 32.2 (2009): 653-656. Web. Kolin, Philip C. "Emmett Till Goes Skip-Stopping On The CTA". Callaloo 35.2 (2012): 392-406. Web. Tisdale, John R. "Different Assignments, Different Perspectives: How Reporters Reconstruct The Emmett Till Civil Rights Murder Trial". Oral History Review 29.1 (2002): 39-58. Web. Whitaker, Hugh Stephen. "A Case Study In Southern Justice: The Murder And Trial Of Emmett Till". Rhetoric & Public Affairs 8.2 (2005): 189-224. Web. Read More