Emmett Till's 'Death Of Innocence'

In the mid-1900s racism was very prevalent in the United States. Northern states did not have much racism left at this time; however, southern states were engulfed in their racist customs. In 1955, a young teenager, Emmett Till, was murdered for allegedly whistling at a white woman. In Death of Innocence by Mamie Till Mabley, Emmett’s mother, she recounts the tragic events.
Emmett Till was murdered in Money, Mississippi while he was visiting family. Mabley writes, “They said Emmett had whistled at a white woman” (306). Furthermore, the reader knows what Emmett was accused of doing. This murder had national recognition. Zacek writes, “...He [Medgar Evers] helped to investigate the death of Emmett Till, a teenager murdered allegedly for having whistled at a white …show more content…
“I looked at the bridge of his nose, at the point right between his eyebrows. It had been chopped, maybe with a meat cleaver” (350). “There was an eyeball hanging down, resting on that cheek. It looked like it was still attached by the optic nerve, but it was just suspended there” (349). Therefore, the injuries described show how brutal the men beat Emmett. “The back of his head was loose from the front part of his face. As I moved around, I saw a bullet hole slightly back from the temple area” (351). In conclusion, this is the worst injury obtained during the beating. Also, this shows the brutality of his attackers; although, Emmett had to be dead by that point they felt the need to shoot him anyway. Emmett Till was a young boy who fell into the hands of racism, and was brutally murdered as the result. He was visiting his family in Mississippi. He was accused of whistling at a white woman. In the middle of the night, two white men came to his uncle’s home and kidnapped him. They beat, mutilated, and murdered him. In conclusion,when people are consumed with hate, rage, and racism it can result in them taking detrimental actions toward