Emmett Till
by Zander, Irimaj and Anthony
Early Life
Emmett Till was born on July 25, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Mamie Elizabeth Till- Mobley and Louis Till. He was an only child. He never met his father, who served as a soldier in World War II. Years later, it was learned that Louis Till was executed in Italy for "willful misconduct."
Emmett became ill with polio at the age of five. He made a full recovery, but had a stutter when he spoke for the rest of his life.
Hate Crime With No Justice
When Emmett Till was 14, he went to visit relatives in Money, Mississippi. He got dared by his friends to ask out the white lady behind the counter at the grocery store. Her name was Carolyn Bryant.
Emmett flirted with her while he was in the store. He whistled at her and said "Hey, Baby!", when he walked out. When her husband, Roy Bryant, found out, he and his brother, J. W.Milam, kidnapped Emmett. They brutally beat Emmett, shot him, wrapped his body in barbed wire and strapped him to a large metal fan, then threw him in the Tallahatchie River. His body was recovered three days later. His face was so mutilated that he could only be identified by the ring he wore that had his initials on it.