Emmett Till Research Paper

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Pages: 7

“When people saw what had happened to my son, men stood up who had never stood up before” (Mamie Till-Mobley). The brutal murder of Emmett Till, nearly 70 years ago, remains a symbol of racial injustice today. The events and the impact of the murder pushed many into the start of the fight for civil rights and the end of racial injustice. The first 14 years of Emmett’s life were just like any other young boy’s, until it wasn’t. Emmett was born on July 25, 1941, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the son of Mamie and Louis Till, and was often referred to as “Bobo” (“Emmett Till”). Growing up, Emmett was held to a high standard, taking many adult responsibilities due to his father being executed while serving in the Army and his mother working over 12 hours a night at …show more content…
Later, Emmett attended the All-black McCosh Grammar School with his childhood friend Richard Heard (“Emmett till”). His background would eventually play a big role in his fate. Little did the nation know that the world would be awakened to a new fight for civil rights. Leading up to the murder, Till liked to spend time with family. In August 1955, Emmett’s uncle, Moses Wright, came to visit his family in Chicago. After the visit, Emmett wanted to leave with his uncle and head back to Mississippi to spend more time with family (“Emmett till”). Before leaving for Mississippi, August 19, 1955, Emmett’s mother gave him his late fathers initialized ring, not knowing that the ring would play a big role in Emmett’s death (“Emmett till”). After arriving in Mississippi on August 24th, Till, his cousins, and more friends decided to go into Bryant's Grocery and Meat Market to purchase some bubble gum and candy (“Emmett Till”). After purchasing the gum, on the way out, he was reportedly whistling at Carolyn, and making “lewd advances” (“Emmett is