CHICAGO (WLS) — The life and tragic death of Emmett Till is the focus of a new exhibit at the Chicago History Museum.
On August 28, 1955, Emmett was kidnapped, tortured, killed and dumped in the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi.
He was only 14 years old.
Just a few weeks later, his murderers, Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam, were put on trial.
A jury of all-white men deliberated for just 67 minutes before acquitting Bryant and Milam.
The Trial for the Murder of Emmett Till showcases Emment’s journey, from his lively moments in Chicago to the heartbreaking scenes of his funeral, along with the intriguing courtroom sketches of the trial.
“These drawings give a visual account of a trial that amplified the inequities Black Americans face within the U.S. court system, including a lack of equal protection under the law,” says exhibition curator Charles E. Bethea, the Andrew W. Mellon Director of Curatorial Affairs & Collections. “With more than forty works ranging from simple pencil sketches to intricate drawings with added ink wash, McMahon’s documentation is an invaluable record of what became one of the seminal moments of the modern Civil Rights Movement.”
The Chicago History Museum invites the public to join them in learning from and reflecting on Emmett Till’s life through this look at his murder trial and the ripple effects of his story. You can more about the exhibit here.
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