OPINION: 1955 Emmett Till murder reverberates in Mississippi 70 years later in 2025

Seventy years ago, Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy from Chicago, reportedly was murdered for whistling at a white woman (Carolyn Bryant) in the Mississippi Delta.

Several accounts of the Emmett Till saga have surfaced during the past 70 years. However, the Keith Beauchamp film documentary, entitled “Till” appears to be an insightful depiction providing details previously not disclosed. Beauchamp has spent decades gathering information and personal stories from people who lived in the Delta and were on the scene, including Emmett Till’s uncle Mose Wright to whom Mamie Till entrusted her son during that fateful summer in 1955. 

Mississippi has led the nation in lynchings back in the day. These horrific events were documented through families’ oral histories and recorded by scholars and journalists putting their stories in print for the world to read.

Many people throughout Mississippi have lived under and endured generational accounts of atrocities that befell their families, as has Emmett Till’s family. Even today, these stories are and always will be a dark cloud casting a shadow over family histories. Once only whispered among elders, some of these stories are just now being discussed openly by family members at reunions and church homecomings. Because of the recent advances of ancestry-tracing services, many youth today are uncovering ancestral accounts of their lynching family stories. This makes these stories personal for them as their family histories come alive.

This writer was invited to participate in a panel discussion at Tougaloo College, where the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, led by Emmett Till’s cousin, Deborah Watts, Co-Founder and Executive Director, hosted and curated the 70th Anniversary Commemoration of Emmett Till’s life and legacy. The conversation was moderated by Civil Rights Activist Nupol Kiazolu.

The panel focused on Emmett Till’s enduring legacy, connecting the past to the present. Panelists discussed the impact of his murder, the unwavering advocacy of his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, and the vital role of youth organizing in the movement. They also reflected on the role and importance of Black media, both then and now. The discussion concluded with Deborah Watts sharing the inspiration behind co-founding the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation as they celebrate their 20 year anniversary.

During August 2025, several remembrances, exhibits, discussions, and conferences took place around the country and state, including one held in Sumner, Mississippi, at the Emmett Till Interpretive Center. This event was coordinated by Daphne Chamberlain, Chief Program Officer of the Center. Sumner is the site of the infamous 1955 trial of J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant. They were acquitted of Emmett Till’s murder by an all-white jury, even though testimony from Black witnesses provided sufficient evidence for convictions. Milam and Bryant later publicly admitted to the crime in a paid interview that was published in Look magazine. This admission did not allow the two men to be retried due to protection under double jeopardy laws. 

Learn more about ways to support the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation at www.emmetttilllegacyfoundation.com, and follow them on all social media platforms at @emmetttilllegacyfoundation.