What Is Emmett Till Essay

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Emmett Till was fourteen years old when he died, as a result of racism. He was innocent, and faced the consequences of discrimination at a young age. His death was a tragedy, but will he will live on as somebody who helped African-Americans earn their rights. Emmett Till’s death took place in a ruthless era in which his life was taken from him as a result of racism during the Civil Rights Movement.

Emmett Till was born on July 25, 1941 in Chicago Illinois. He went to an all black school, but was taught to treat everyone equally (Death of Emmett Till). Chicago wasn’t as racist as the South, so Emmett was taught to respect everyone at an early age. Till wasn’t close to his father because his mother left Till’s father when he was very young (Vox). Emmett Till never got to know his father because his father was killed because of rape (Vox). He had a rough childhood, and to make things worse, he contracted polio at age six. As he grew older, he outgrew polio and his mother remarried and then left her husband again (Vox). Her ex-husband would threaten Emmett’s mother, and Emmett would have to stand up to her ex-husband (Vox).

In Chicago, Emmett learned that judging people was wrong, and he was never racist because he never experienced the level of racism like in the south (PBS). Emmett Till would visit his uncle in Mississippi, and while he was there his mother warned him to watch his actions (Vox). In the 1950s, the south was extremely racist towards African-Americans, and everything in the south was segregated including schools, bathrooms, buses, and restaurants. This happened during the Civil Rights Movement which were movements to help African-Americans earn their rights and equality (Scholastic). Whites in the so...

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...t and not anatagonize it.
Emmett Till’s death inspired people to try to end racism so African-Americans could be granted their rights and protection. Racism, discrimination, and prejudice had been going on for too long, and it was time to stop it. This inspired many people to hold bus boycotts and protests (PBS). A new era was beginning where racism was considered unjust and hurtful, and people would have to face consequences for their actions. Emmett Till was the beginning of this change. He should be considered a hero because without him who knows what our country would be like. He helped African-Americans to be seen as equal, and not an inferior race. His death was a tragedy, but something good came out of it which was freedom. “ I look to a day when people will not be judge by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” (BrainyQuote).

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