Emmett Till Murder Trial!

Plaque Text for This Missouri Landmark:

In August 1955, the body of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black youth from Chicago, was found in the Tallahatchie River. On September 23, in a five day trial held in this courthouse, an all-white jury acquitted two white men, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, of the murder. Both later confessed to the murder in a magazine interview. Till’s murder, coupled with the trial and acquittal of these two men, drew international attention and galvanized the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi and the nation.

More about the Emmett Till Murder Trial:

The trial of Emmett Till’s murderers took place in this Richardsonian Romanesque style courthouse, designed by William Hull and built between 1909 and 1910. As the seat of Tallahatchie County, it would not have had a say in the murder, which took place in adjacent LeFlore County, but because those county officials declined to prosecute and because Emmett’s body was found in Tallahatchie County, the trial began here on September 15, 1955.

Even though the all-white jury only took an hour and seven minutes of deliberation to acquit both murderers, the trial broke ground on many levels! For starters, Emmett’s uncle, Mose Wright, testified that these two were the ones who broke into his home and kidnapped Emmett from his bed, putting his own life at risk! Secondly, over a hundred journalists flew down to Sumner to record the court proceedings, some building a makeshift airstrip in Tutwiler so they could ship film back to New York every night! All of this press coverage put millions of eyes on Sumner, Mississippi, and the global outrage over the verdict in the trial gave birth to the earliest movements in the Civil Rights Movement!

How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?

Volunteer at Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument!
Donate to the Emmett Till Interpretive Center!
Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!