Emmett Till's Brutal Murder Jump Started the Civil Rights Movement

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Recommended: important of black history month

Could you imagine a world where people could get away with murder just because the person was black? This was common during the Civil Rights movement in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Emmett Till, a 14 year old boy from Chicago, Illinois, was just one example of the cruelty and mistreatment of African Americans in the United States. His death and the acquittal of his killers was the spark that set off a movement that changed America forever. Emmett Till’s brutal murder jump started the Civil Rights Movement and was one example of how Jim Crow Laws affected the treatment of African Americans in the South.
For Emmett, growing up in Chicago was a safe haven that hid him from the cruel treatment of African Americans in the South. Emmett Louis Till was born on July 25, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois. He was the only child of Louis and Mamie Till. Emmett never met his father, who was killed while serving for the army in Italy. His family was later told that he was killed for raping two white women and killing another. Emmett was very close with his mother, and he took care of her the best he could. He was called “Bobo” or “Bo” by most of his friends and family. He contracted polio at the age of 5 but recovered with only a slight stutter. “Those who knew Till best described him as a responsible, funny, and infectiously high-spirited child.” (“Emmett Till Biography”) Emmett was always planning practical jokes and was very confident. He was also hard working and took on many domestic responsibilities at home. "Emmett had all the house responsibility," His mother later recalled. "I mean everything was really on his shoulders, and Emmett took it upon himself. He told me if I would work, and make the money, he would take care of everything ...

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...ived jail time, they ultimately paid for their sins in the end.
Emmett Till’s unfair trial and failure to follow the Jim Crow Laws of the South cost him his life and lit the fire that was the Civil Rights Movement. His mother, Mamie Till, describes her son as the “sacrificial lamb” that helped the African American community reach equality with other Americans. While Emmett will be missed, his life and death had a meaning that even he could not understand.

Works Cited
"American Experience: The Murder of Emmett Till." American Experience: The Murder of Emmett Till. PBS, 2009. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Anderson, Devery. "Emmett Till." Emmett Till. N.p., 4 Mar. 2014. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
"Emmett Louis Till." 2014. The Biography.com website. Apr 22 2014
Huie, William B. "The Shocking Story of APPROVED KILLING IN MISSISSIPPI."
Look 24 Jan. 1956: 46-50.Print.

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