Death of Emmett Till Flashcards
1
Q
Who was Emmett Till?
A
- 14 year old
- African American boy
- From Chicago, Illinois (urban North)
2
Q
What did Emmett Till do in Mississippi?
A
- He visited relatives in Mississippi (South)
- Went into a store and encountered white owner’s wife
- Considered to not have played by local rules concerning conduct of blacks around white woman
3
Q
What happened to Emmett Till in Mississippi?
A
- A few days later, owner and half-brother abducted him at gunpoint from great uncle’s house
- Tortured and murdered him, dumped his body in river
- Found a few days later by boys fishing
4
Q
What was the nature of the funeral?
A
- Political theatre
- Open-casket funeral to show the condition of the body
- Thousands of people attended
5
Q
What did the murder of Emmett Till highlight?
A
- Persistence of racism and Southern resurgence
- Weakness of democracy
- Failed to protect citizens from lynching
6
Q
What did the publicity of Emmett Till’s case lead to (within the US)?
A
- Whites in the North saw the first time the extent of which African Americans in the South suffered
- Motivated many African Americans to advocate for change
- Catalyst for Civil Rights movement
7
Q
What was the nature of the Emmett Till ruling like?
A
- All white local jury
- Spectators openly carried pistols
- Jury sipped beer
- Way too relaxed, did not treat it like its a big deal
8
Q
What did the ruling of Emmett Till show about US democracy?
A
- So weak
- Could neither protect the innocent nor punish the guilty
9
Q
When was the death of Emmett Till?
A
1955
