Biographical Narrative: Emmett Till

Biographical Narrative-Emmett Till Who would put their son’s desecrated body on display for all public to see? Mamie Till would. Her son, fourteen year-old Emmett Till, was visiting his relatives in Mississippi where he was kidnapped, murdered, and ditched in the Tallahatchie River by two white men for wolf-whistling at a white woman. These men were tried and found not guilty. Till’s mother, Mamie, fought back with one intention; to bring justice on her son’s death which would later be etched in the American Civil Rights History. To begin, Mamie Till did all she could to gain justice from this atrocious event. Mamie opened the casket to see her son’s body, after she had been told otherwise. She then had an open-casket funeral where
“thousands came to see his mutilated remains.” (Jenny Jarvie and Richard Fausset). Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam were then taken to court for the murder of her son Emmett Till. Inevitably, they were found innocent by an all white jury due to the lack of evidence for the identity of the boy lying in the casket. In turn, Mamie opened the eyes of many people with her brave actions. This inspired people to stand up for what was right. Mamie challenged white men in court and she continued to fight for justice even after the case was closed. If she hadn’t performed the open-casket funeral, no one would have seen the body. No one would have believed Emmett’s tragic story if it weren’t for her because the details are too heinous for one to believe without proof. Thus, Mamie Till’s actions helped stimulate the American civil rights movement. She was a great example to the people of her time and now. From her, one could learn to fight for justice no matter what the consequences may be. Because she displayed her son to the public, photos were taken for magazines and newspapers. Emmett’s slain body was seen around the world helping contribute to the civil rights movement. Fourteen year old, Emmett Till was brutally slain in Mississippi by two white men; whom were found innocent. Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till, didn’t quit fighting for justice after the trial. She allowed all eyes to witness the brutal slaying of her son. Thus, the story of Emmett Till is a known highlight of the American civil rights movement.