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First reply to Joseph

The murder of Emmett Till emphasized all that was wrong with racism in Southern society. The trial of Emmett Till showed to nation the flaws in the court system. Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam brutally kidnapped, beat, and murdered a fourteen year old boy named Emmett Till after he whistled at one of their wives. At their trial the jury was composed of only white males. Despite all of the evidence and eyewitness accounts of the Emmett Till’s murder, the two men were found not guilty after only 67 minutes of deliberation. “Reporters said they overheard laughing inside the jury room. One juror later said: ‘We wouldn’t have taken so long if we hadn’t stopped to drink pop’” (Smith, 2003). The jurors appeared had made there decision on the trial before they even arrived at the courtroom. They did not take the trial seriously and the rapid deliberation showed their lack of care. By law, a jury must consist of your peers unbiased to the situation. However, this was not the case at the Emmett Till trial. This was not uncommon at this time period. Courtrooms in the South were heavily segregated. Blacks did not receive the same rights as whites in the court. Reporters from the Northern states who visited the trial spread the results of the trial across the nation. This court case showed the country the brutality of racism in Southern society and sparked national civl rights movements. Two months after the two men were acquitted, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on the bus, which sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Smith, M. A. (2003). The Trial of J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant. Retrieved November 15, 2018, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/emmett-trial-jw-milam-and-roy-bryant/

Second reply to Adriana

The murder of the young boy Emmett Till, whom was only age 14 at the time of this indignant act, was one  created immense impacts across all boundaries in our nation.  And rightfully so, as this was only a child, yet
a victim of societal norms imposed by the dominant racism that existed in the south and in many parts of our country.  Notwithstanding, it was the clear and evident demonstration of injustice that, in my opinion, served as a clear message that resonated across all ethnicities, all genders, and all Families across the world, not just the country.  “Till’s mother said that, despite the enormous pain it caused her to see her son’s dead body on display” (Editors H. , 2009), which as a mother, I can completely relate to. Although’ I can’t fathom the amount of pain one would experience in such a devastating and unjust situation.

And even more chilling was that the men were acquitted from such a heinous crime, despite overwhelming evidence elevating their guilt to unprecedented levels.  But to prove even more clearly the injustice of those days, “on September 23 the panel of white male jurors acquitted Bryant and Milam of
all charges” (Editors H. , 2009).  Knowing these men were guilty!  And to make matters worse, “Only a few months later, in January 1956, Bryant and Milam admitted to committing the crime” (Editors H. , 2009).

But justice has a unique way of showing itself, as this young man’s death paved the way for that justice in some capacity.  “Coming only one year after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education mandated the end of racial segregation in public schools, Emmett Till’s
death provided an important catalyst for the American civil rights movement” (Editors B. , 2014).  Which to this day continues to exercise significant influence in our legislative branches.

I couldn’t begin to imagine what life was like for African American men, women, and children in those days of evident injustice and discrimination. I am happy to see that we have, to a certain extent, broken down those
barriers on injustice and uncomprehensive behaviors certain people demonstrated.  Not to mention that “nine years later, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing many forms of racial discrimination and segregation” (Editors B. , 2014).  Which is clearly a direct result of this tragic event in our history.

References

Editors, B. (2014, April 2). Emmett Till Biography. Retrieved from The
Biography.com website: https://www.biography.com/people/emmett-till-507515 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Editors, H. (2009, December 2). Emmett Till. Retrieved from HISTORY:
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/emmett-till-1 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.