Social Justice

62 Years Ago Today Emmett Till Was Murdered

62 years ago on this day, August 28th 1955, EmmetTill was lynched in Mississippi by two white men for allegedly whistling at a white woman.

Published

7 years ago

August 28, 2017

Unheard Voices Staff

Emmett Till and Mamie Mobley (Fair Use Image)

62 years ago on this day, August 28th 1955, Emmett Till was lynched in Mississippi.

Table of Contents

62 Years ago, Emmett Till

Let that sink in, only 62 years ago a 14 year old’s life was viciously cut short by two men, J.W. Milam and his half brother, Roy Bryant.

All because he allegedly whistled at Bryant’s wife.

Racism in America

Emmett Till’s murder would draw massive attention to the long history of violent persecution of African Americans in the United States.

Earlier this year, Bryant’s now ex-wife, Carolyn Bryant Donham, allegedly admitted she lied about her testimony. The 82-year-old purportedly confessed about 10 years ago to author Timothy Tyson, a Duke University senior research scholar, who was working on the book The Blood of Emmett Till.

“That part’s not true,” Donham reportedly told Tyson about her claim that Emmett made verbal and physical advances toward her. “Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him.”

Till’s family is still seeking justice, asking for the case to be reinvestigated after Donham allegedly admitted to lying.

Emmett Till would have been 76 today but his life was cut short simply because of hate.

Unheard Voices hopes your family receives the full justice they deserve.

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Unheard Voices Staff

Unheard Voices is an award-winning news magazine that started in 2004 as a newsletter in the Asbury Park, Neptune, and Long Branch, NJ areas to broadening into a recognized Black online media outlet. The company is one of the few outlets dedicated to covering social justice issues. They are the recipient of the NAACP Unsung Hero Award and CV Magazine's Innovator Award for Best Social Justice Communications Company.