Emmett Till Thesis

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Racism has been around in the US for a long time. In the 19th Century, slavery against African Americans was very common. However, eventually, African Americans were freed from slavery, but still segregated and affected by various laws. Local "Jim Crow" laws prevented blacks from voting, and they were not allowed to stay in the same hotels, eat at the same restaurants, or use the same facilities as white people. The Great Migration brought millions of blacks out of the South looking for relief from segregation and the possibility of better paying jobs in the north. A well-known racial incident that occurred in the 19th century was the tragic story of Emmett Till, a fourteen-year-old African-American boy from Chicago. Till took a trip to Mississippi to visit his grandfather and his cousin. While in the town of Money, Till was accused of “flirting” with a white woman named Ms. Bryant.…show more content…
In retaliation, Ms. Bryant informed her husband about what Till supposedly did. Mr. Bryant was furious and went to Till’s grandfather’s house asking for Till. Mr. Bryant and his friend took young Till away from the premises and murdered him. Till’s body was found floating in the river. His body was gruesome; swollen with water and badly dismantled. His mother held an open casket view at his funeral to show the entire world what had happened to him. After the funeral, the Emmett Till trial was held. The jury and judge consisted of all white individuals. There was an eyewitness who concealed himself until the case occurred. However, even with this compelling piece of evidence, the jury claimed that Mr. Bryant and his friend, were found not guilty of Till’s death. Shortly after the trial, Mr. Bryant and his friend admitted to the killing of Till because they could not be tried

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