The Emmett Till Funeral: An Open Look at American Hatred
By Guest Author, Becky Wilcox
Mamie Till Bradley, the mother of Emmett Till, weeps during her son's funeral. (Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Images)
(Editor's Note: If you are interested in reading more about the murder of Emmett Till, you can receive a special discount on Susan Klopfer's books at Lulu.com. Use coupon code LULUBOOK305 at checkout and receive 25% off your order. The maximum savings with this promotion is $50. You can only use the code once per account, and you can't use this coupon in combination with other coupon codes. This great offer ends on January 31, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST. )
MOST HISTORIANS AND SCHOLARS of the African-American Civil Rights Movement cite the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till as the spark that ignited the firestorm. But the impact the murder of Emmett Till had on American society in 1955 would not have dug as deep a crater as it did if it weren't for the quick thinking and boldness of Emmett's mother, Mamie Till, in the days following her son's death. Without her unwavering insistence that her son's body be brought back home north to Chicago, and her decision to show the world what was done to her son, Till's death could have slipped into the silence of criminal statistics. Indeed, it was the unfortunate death of this young man that galvanized an already existing movement to improve the lives of African-Americans, but only because Mamie Till made it her mission to do so at a time in her life when most mothers wouldn't be able to stand up, let alone fight.
Bringing Her Boy Home
When she heard the news of her son's death, Mamie Till was hundreds of miles away from where the crime occurred – up in Chicago while her son stayed with relatives in Mississippi for the summer. This distance would prove daunting in the days ahead, as local authorities in Mississippi insisted that Emmett's body be buried there and not sent to Chicago. The extent of Emmett's injuries were not yet known by his mother, as no post-mortem examination on the body had been performed. Fearing that the revelation of his injuries would cause controversy, Mississippi authorities attempted to essentially bury the evidence.
But Mamie Till did not go down easy. She contacted every state office and government support line she could to ensure that a local burial would be prevented and that Emmett's body would indeed be sent to a chosen Chicago mortuary. When her son's body arrived in Chicago, Mamie Till said that the smell of decomposition could be detected blocks away due to the time it took to clear the red tape in preventing a Mississippi burial.
Showing the World What They Did to Her Baby
When Mamie Till made the positive identification of Emmett's body, she made one of the most important decisions of her life in deciding to have an open casket service. Emmett had been brutally beaten about the head and face to the point that he was virtually unrecognizable. It was a horrific sight to behold, and one no mother should ever have to experience. But not only did Mamie Till refuse to let herself look away, she made up her mind that the world wasn't going to look away either.
Through connections courtesy of the NAACP and growing controversy over the issue in Mississippi, Mamie Till ensured that there was press coverage of Emmett's funeral service. Photographs taken of the body made the rounds, and Americans could not stomach what they saw. Even the majority of pro-segregationist Southern whites were appalled at the way Emmett met his end. Proponents of equality for blacks refused to let the story die, and in the days and weeks afterward, Emmett Till's death became a rallying cry for the movement.
Bittersweet Results
Emmett's murderers never paid for their crimes and died free men after a jury found them not guilty. They even went on record years later admitting to the crime, while the double jeopardy provision of the American court system prevented any further attempts of prosecution.
But if this deeply dark cloud had any shred of a silver lining, it was that the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till turned out to be the last straw when it came to tolerated racial injustice in the United States. This was thanks to the efforts of Emmett's mother, who in her desire for the world to know the truth about his death, ended up helping improve the lives of millions.
AUDIO SAMPLE FROM "WHO KILLED EMMETT TILL"
(Author Becky Wilcox writes the she was "just doing some research and I came across the open casket topic. As I read more about the topic I became more and more interested." Becky is a freelance writer who in her spare time loves to learn about the topics of education, technology and history. She notes that the Civil Rights Movement has always been a longtime passion of hers. Thanks, Becky, for sharing this article. Susan Klopfer, blog editor)
(Editor's Note: If you are interested in reading more about the murder of Emmett Till, you can receive a special discount on Susan Klopfer's books at Lulu.com. Use coupon code LULUBOOK305 at checkout and receive 25% off your order. The maximum savings with this promotion is $50. You can only use the code once per account, and you can't use this coupon in combination with other coupon codes. This great offer ends on January 31, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST. )
Bringing Her Boy Home
When she heard the news of her son's death, Mamie Till was hundreds of miles away from where the crime occurred – up in Chicago while her son stayed with relatives in Mississippi for the summer. This distance would prove daunting in the days ahead, as local authorities in Mississippi insisted that Emmett's body be buried there and not sent to Chicago. The extent of Emmett's injuries were not yet known by his mother, as no post-mortem examination on the body had been performed. Fearing that the revelation of his injuries would cause controversy, Mississippi authorities attempted to essentially bury the evidence.
But Mamie Till did not go down easy. She contacted every state office and government support line she could to ensure that a local burial would be prevented and that Emmett's body would indeed be sent to a chosen Chicago mortuary. When her son's body arrived in Chicago, Mamie Till said that the smell of decomposition could be detected blocks away due to the time it took to clear the red tape in preventing a Mississippi burial.
Showing the World What They Did to Her Baby
When Mamie Till made the positive identification of Emmett's body, she made one of the most important decisions of her life in deciding to have an open casket service. Emmett had been brutally beaten about the head and face to the point that he was virtually unrecognizable. It was a horrific sight to behold, and one no mother should ever have to experience. But not only did Mamie Till refuse to let herself look away, she made up her mind that the world wasn't going to look away either.
Through connections courtesy of the NAACP and growing controversy over the issue in Mississippi, Mamie Till ensured that there was press coverage of Emmett's funeral service. Photographs taken of the body made the rounds, and Americans could not stomach what they saw. Even the majority of pro-segregationist Southern whites were appalled at the way Emmett met his end. Proponents of equality for blacks refused to let the story die, and in the days and weeks afterward, Emmett Till's death became a rallying cry for the movement.
Bittersweet Results
Emmett's murderers never paid for their crimes and died free men after a jury found them not guilty. They even went on record years later admitting to the crime, while the double jeopardy provision of the American court system prevented any further attempts of prosecution.
But if this deeply dark cloud had any shred of a silver lining, it was that the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till turned out to be the last straw when it came to tolerated racial injustice in the United States. This was thanks to the efforts of Emmett's mother, who in her desire for the world to know the truth about his death, ended up helping improve the lives of millions.
AUDIO SAMPLE FROM "WHO KILLED EMMETT TILL"
(Author Becky Wilcox writes the she was "just doing some research and I came across the open casket topic. As I read more about the topic I became more and more interested." Becky is a freelance writer who in her spare time loves to learn about the topics of education, technology and history. She notes that the Civil Rights Movement has always been a longtime passion of hers. Thanks, Becky, for sharing this article. Susan Klopfer, blog editor)
(Editor's Note: If you are interested in reading more about the murder of Emmett Till, you can receive a special discount on Susan Klopfer's books at Lulu.com. Use coupon code LULUBOOK305 at checkout and receive 25% off your order. The maximum savings with this promotion is $50. You can only use the code once per account, and you can't use this coupon in combination with other coupon codes. This great offer ends on January 31, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST. )
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