Emmett Till And Trayvon Martin Analysis

As African Americans we will continue to face different obstacles resulting from racism, cultural movements, and important events that helped change the nation. Nearly six decades apart, Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin would never know that would be the day their actions affect their presence on Earth. They each walked into different stores, purchasing candy, and were unarmed. These individual stories marked pivotal moments within society. As history repeats itself, stories like these will have an impact on the younger generation. There are many similarities and differences between the deaths of both Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin where their cases involved racial tension, stereotypes, and difficult challenges young African American men face every day.
On August 24, 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till reportedly flirted with a white cashier in Money, Mississippi ("Emmett Till"). Strictly being an African American, suspicion was raised as he entered the store and whistled at Mrs. Bryant. Emmett’s sense of humor made her feel threatened. Till was visiting relatives when he was accused of harassing a local white woman ("Emmett Till"). By doing this Emmett breaks the unwritten laws of Jim Crow, crossing verbal boundaries. Jim Crow laws were laws in the South based on race that enforced segregation between whites and blacks in public …show more content…
Milam abducted Emmett Till, brutally beating and killing him before disposing of his body in a nearby river ("Emmett Till"). As a relative from Chicago Illinois, Till wasn’t quite familiar with Jim Crows since he was from up north. Since African Americans were barred from serving jury duty, Bryant and Milam were tried before an all-white, all-male jury. They were found not guilty of all charges within sixty seven minutes, soon later recanting that they in fact killed Emmett Till ("Emmett Till"). Due to the double jeopardy law Emmett’s killers couldn’t be tried a second time, once again resulting in another case of