In late 2016, a marker placed at the spot where Emmett Till’s body was found was riddled with bullets. Now, several miles away, a memorial marking the store where he was falsely accused of threatening a white woman in 1955 has been defaced.Â
It was recently reported that Carolyn Bryant admitted that she lied when she accused 14-year-old Emmett Till of physically and verbally assaulting her in Mississippi roughly 60 years ago. With this newfound information, some of Till’s relatives are hoping a new investigation could lead to closure.Â
Most of us know the story. In 1955, Emmett Till was brutally beaten and killed while visiting family in Mississippi after a white woman named Carolyn Bryant claimed that he was “inappropriate” towards her – common lore is that he whistled at her. An all-white jury found the two accused men innocent, despite a mountain of […]
One the reasons so many of the historical acts of violence against Black people in the United States go unanswered is due to statutes of limitations and other legal barriers to achieving equal justice for these crimes. President Obama is addressing this problem just as he prepares to leave office in 2017.
The murder of Emmett Till is considered to be a landmark in the Civil Rights Movement that sparked a powerful public reaction due to the severity of the crime and the publicity it received. Now, it appears that this is a part of history some people would like to do without. AÂ memorial marking the place […]
During a recent interview, Oprah Winfrey discussed her new film “The Butler” and how it will impact audiences, considering the recent acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin.
Apparently Lil Wayne’s “apology” letter didn’t impress Emmett Till’s family… or PepsiCo. The rapper has been dropped as spokesperson for the company’s Mountain Dew line.
Earlier this week Lil Wayne issued a letter to Emmett Till’s family, “apologizing” for using Till’s name in a song. Well, a spokesperson for the family dismissed the apology, claiming that it was inadequate.
Lil Wayne has issued a formal apology to the family of Emmett Till for lyrics that referenced the Civil Rights martyr in a profane way: “As a father myself, I cannot imagine the pain that your family has had to endure…I have tremendous respect for those who paved the way for the liberty and opportunities that African-Americans currently enjoy.”
Lil Wayne has yet to apologize for an offensive lyrics invoking the name of Emmett Till. So the Till family plans to pressure corporate sponsor Mountain Dew to drop their endorsement deal with the rapper.
The family of the late Emmett Till have penned an open letter to Lil Wayne, challenging the Young Money emcee to address the controversy surrounding the lyrics, and imploring him to help educate others on the story of Emmett Till. Do you think Wayne should respond? Will he?
Epic Records has announced they will be going to “great efforts” to pull a leaked song that features a Lil Wayne lyric that references Emmett Till. Are you satisfied with Epic’s response? Should Lil Wayne address the outcry over these lyrics?
