Emmett Till And The Horror Of Hate Crimes
- Staff
- Jun 11, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 5, 2025
In order to correct our behavior, we must learn from the past.
Most people have heard the name Emmett Till, the 14-year-old child that was lynched in 1955 Mississippi. But how many people have taken the time to understand what really happened back then? To the ones who do not know about Emmett's story, I ask: "Do you not know about Emmett Till because you were never given the resources, or is it because you simply do not want to know the truth?"
Knowing about hate crimes and murders of the past means one has to acknowledge that these crimes are still happening in the society we live in. People have to wake up to see the horrors surrounding them, and many will have to look in the mirror and whisper, “I am the problem.” And people do not like things that make them uncomfortable.
Everyone should know about Emmett Till, but in case some do not, here is a short summary of what Emmett had suffered:
Emmett Till was a 14-year-old boy who lived in Chicago. He had polio as a young child, and after he recovered from polio, he developed a stutter. To help with his stutter, his mother—Mamie Till Mobley—told him to whistle before speaking, after she realized he had a good memory. This process helped Emmett regain his composure.
In 1955, Emmett had gone to Mississippi in the summer to visit family. His mother had warned him about how the South was not like Chicago, and he had to say things like “yes/no sir/’mam.” She had told him to keep his head down and was beyond worried her son was visiting the South. Mamie, and others that knew him, described Emmett as a lively and happy-go-lucky individual, and she and her mother were afraid that his energetic spirit would get him into trouble. After Emmett boarded the train to go south, Mamie became immobilized and would fall to her knees, which lasted for about a week. She feared her son had not taken her words seriously. I believe she innately knew what would befall her only son—a mother's intuition.
Emmett had written two letters to his mother while away on his summer trip. And on August 25, 1955, Mamie received the last letter she would ever receive from Emmett. In the letter, Emmett spoke about having a “fine time” and announced he would be home the following week. However, his return home never happened because of an incident that happened on August 24th.
On August 24, 1955, Emmett went to a grocery store in Money, Mississippi with his cousin, Wheeler Parker, driven by Wheeler’s uncle. While leaving the store, Wheeler said Emmett ended up whistling, with a white woman named Carolyn Bryant Donham nearby. While Emmett was most likely trying to regain his composure, in order to speak without stuttering, Carolyn became offended and went to her car to get a pistol. Everyone panicked and Wheeler and Emmett got back into Wheeler’s uncle’s car. After they drove off, another car was seen following them. Days later, on August 31, after 2:00 a.m., two men named Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam arrived at the house Emmett stayed at. After they dragged Emmett outside, Wheeler and the family grew eerily silent. While Wheeler was planning an escape in case the two white men returned, Emmett was being tortured, shot in the head, and thrown into the Tallahatchie river. A cotton-gin fan was placed around his neck to keep him from floating.
We all know people love to lie, especially prejudiced white people trying to dehumanize a person of color. Despite the reports at trial of Emmett sexually harassing Carolyn inside the grocery store, while she stocked candy, I believe that Emmett Till was murdered simply for whistling with a white woman nearby. Here is a segment taken from an interview with Mamie Till Mobley, on why he whistled:
I recommend watching the interviews, beginning with Mamie Till Mobley.
In the end, it does not matter if Emmett had whistled due to his stutter or he did, in fact, flirt with Carolyn. What happened to Emmett Till was a suffering no one should endure, especially a 14-year-old boy. And his name lives on in the civil rights movement, as an anchor. So, when we shout, “say his/her/their name,” always remember Emmett Till.
2025:
Many white people have become extremely bold about their prejudices. On April 28, 2025, a white woman named Shiloh Hendrix called a 5-year-old autistic child the “n” word at a park in Rochester, and racists and white nationalists helped her raise over $700,000 on her fundraiser. Further, right-wing extremists are fighting to free George Floyd's murderer, Derek Chauvin, and officials are scared he may pardoned.
ICE continues to target people of color in the disguise of "homeland security." We all know ICE is not going after immigrants because of criminal activity or border issues. They are targeting individuals because of their skin color. Immigrants, regardless of citizen status, are proven to have a lower crime rate than US born individuals. So, if ICE really wants to get rid of criminals, they should start with the "homegrowns," such as the felon in chief and his cult of white supremacy.
It was not an immigrant that murdered Emmett Till, it was two US born white men. 2025 is beginning to look a lot like 1955…
Want to know more about Emmett Till, his case, and how his story played an important role in the civil rights movement? Want to know about similar tragedies? Check out the references below:
References
“American Experience; the Murder of Emmett Till; Interview with Mamie Till Mobley, Mother of Emmett Till.” American Archive of Public Broadcasting, americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-tx3513w354. Accessed 11 June 2025.
Bailey, Chelsea. “The End of Federal Oversight and Calls to Pardon George Floyd’s Convicted Killer Could Undermine Police Reforms, Minneapolis Leaders Warn.” CNN, Cable News Network, 21 May 2025, www.cnn.com/2025/05/21/us/george-floyd-minneapolis-chauvin-pardon-reform.
“Emmett Till.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 May 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till.
Emmett Till’s Death Inspired a Movement | National Museum of African American History and Culture, nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/emmett-tills-death-inspired-movement. Accessed 11 June 2025.
