Black History 365
A Man Is Still A Boy in Mississippi: 66 Years After Emmett Till’s Murder
Remembering one of the South’s deepest racial tragedies
During a conversation with my editor, Allison Gaines, we traded over what was desperately needed for Black bodies in the South. The similarities coming from Southern states were unfathomable and unending. From reform to policy to justice, the South deserves more than what’s currently demanded.
The racial reckoning of 2020 only reawakened what we’ve always known.
And even still, the South is still in need of a salvage. So much so that, a man is still a boy in a Southern state like Mississippi.
It is my belief that if Emmett Till were alive today, he would still be a boy in Mississippi, even at 80 years old.
However, we are only left to wonder.
Emmett Louis Till was born on July 25th, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois to Mamie and Louis Till. Till was described as a “happy boy”, who was “infectious and loved to tell jokes to make others laugh.”
