Emmett Till Wiki – Emmett Till Biography
The murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955 in Money, Mississippi, is remembered as one of the most brutal and heinous crimes committed during the Jim Crow era.
The murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till’s Money in 1955 is remembered as one of the most brutal and disgusting crimes committed during the time of Mississippi, Jim Crow. The death of the young Chicago black man served as a catalyst for change and accelerated the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Actress Taye Diggs said that her story should still be told.
Diggs, 49, recently started tweeting about Till, and the foundation was founded on his own behalf to continue the legacy of the youth.
“I recently caught my attention that he has an @EmmettTill account on Twitter and has only about 3,500 followers,” Diggs said in an email interview with Mississippi Clarion Ledger. “The account is protected by Emmett Till’s family through the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation.”
When Diggs, Till, and Emmett started tweeting about the Till Legacy Foundation, the number of followers quickly rose to 37,000.
Diggs highlighted some of the work done by the foundation, including the introduction of the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act going through Congress and the donation of the family’s Till’s coffin to the African American History Museum.
“I focused my Twitter account on expanding the access of the @EmmettTill account as much as possible and helping raise the important posts of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation.”
Deborah Watts, co-founder of the foundation and Till’s cousin, said that Diggs’ support brought a new awareness of her cousin’s death, crimes against her, and not being convicted of anyone killing.
“It helps us expand our platform, our voice,” he said. “Given everything going on and what we’re trying to do, there’s no better time than that. We are satisfied, we are honored, we are very satisfied with it.
“I think it allowed us to reach a completely different audience.”
In addition to creating new followers, Watts said the foundation’s social media accounts and website are more active.
“We’ve done a lot of research, wondering what our foundation is about and what our goals are, and I think people are wondering who Emmett Till is,” said Watts.
Diggs asked that he had no personal contact with the Till family or foundation, but felt that he needed more attention than the foundation received, so he asked his fans to follow the account.
“I believe that Emmett Till’s brutal murder was one of the most important events in our history,” he said. “I also believe that (Till’s mother) Mamie Till-Mobley’s decision to hold an open coffin funeral and organize the publication of Emmett Till’s photos in Jet Magazine is one of the most heroic acts in our history.”
Saturday will celebrate Till’s 79th birthday. The 65th anniversary of his death is August 28. Emmett Till Legacy Foundation launched a year-long online campaign this week to bring justice in Till’s case.
The foundation asks its supporters to wear black and white every year on birth and death anniversaries.
The online justice campaign was launched to raise awareness that the family has not received justice in 65 years since Till’s murder. Men who agreed to kill Till were acquitted for trial.
The foundation asks supporters to “hold law enforcement responsible for the advancement of this case” and “demand Justice for Emmett Till while the case remains open and active with the Ministry of Justice”.
The white woman Carolyn Bryant Donham, who accused Till of her whistling, was never accused of her role in Till’s death.
Donham’s husband, Roy Bryant, half-brother J.W. Milam and the others kidnapped Till from her family’s home and beat young people, lynched and then hit her on the head before throwing her body into the Tallahatchie River.
Watts said they also benefited from Till’s death by selling the stories of the two men.
The official said he hopes this will be the year when the authorities will judge Donham and others concerned.
But the foundation is more than just remembering the past, Watts said.
“We wanted to make sure we built this bridge from past to present and into the future,” he said.
Taye Diggs wants action, support
Diggs said that it was important to keep remembering what happened to Till and others and what it was going to be today. It encourages people to contact the foundation to learn more about Till and the foundation’s work to build social justice and better racial relations.
“The Till family, led by Mamie Till-Mobley, has been one of the most important catalysts for civil rights over the past six and a half years,” he said. “Please contact them and see how you can help their duties and other families with similar tragedies.
“Learning from history and continuing to invest in the heritage of our icons is crucial to ensure that the Black Life Matter movement continues.
