A Murder in Mississippi

A poem about Emmett Till and a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement

This poem is part of the NaPoWriMo 2024 challenge to write a poem a day in April. This is the prompt for April 20:

Our optional prompt for the day challenges you to write a poem that recounts a historical event. In writing your poem, you could draw on your memory, encyclopedias, history books, or primary documents.

In the summer of '55, Mississippi called,
A land starkly different and unfamiliar.
Fate called Emmett Till on a journey 
That would forever change history.

Emmett visited relatives, 
seeking connection and kinship
In the Mississippi Delta, 
unknown territory.

Near Money, a small town, 
destiny crossed his way,
In the form of Carolyn Bryant, 
a young white woman.

Details of their encounter, 
shrouded in dispute,
Accusations arose, 
whispers of forbidden actions.

Flirtation, a touch, a whistle in the air,
All violated the code, the unspoken rule
Black men could not initiate 
contact with white women.

Days passed, then a night draped in darkness,
Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam went armed with anger,
Prejudice, their hearts full of hate,
They sought revenge, seizing Emmett.

They took the young boy with merciless hands,
And unleashed their fury on an innocent.
They beat and mutilated, their hatred so vile,
Before ending his life with a single gunshot.

Emmett's lifeless body, discarded with disdain,
Remained in the depths of the Tallahatchie River for
Three days, before the world could bear witness,
To the grotesque aftermath, a tragedy so senseless.

Bloated and mutilated, his form was a painful sight,
Evidence of hidden darkness—prejudice, fear.
Back in Chicago, his mother, Mamie Till Bradley,
Refused to let her son's death be silenced.

With unwavering determination, she demanded justice,
A public funeral service, an open casket.
She exposed the world to the horrors her son faced,
To the racism and barbarism that left her heart broken.

Thousands gathered, their hearts heavy,
To pay respect, to witness, to show they cared.
Emmett's disfigured body in images published wide,
Ignited a fire, calls for justice amplified.

Black communities rallied, their voices united,
Demanding an end to racism, demanding their rights.
The state of Mississippi faced intense scrutiny,
Newspapers condemned, shining a harsh light.

But instead of acknowledging their grievous mistake,
Local officials defended the heinous acts.
In a courtroom, justice faltered, truth obscured,
An all-white jury declared the accused not guilty.

Bryant and Milam walked free, their guilt known to all,
Protected by double jeopardy, a bitter pill.
In a 1956 interview, their admission so brazen,
Callously recounting their crime for money.

Emmett Till's murder, a turning point in time,
A spark that ignited the fight, the cause.
His name echoed through the streets, his story told,
Etched into the nation’s collective memory.

Though his life was cut short, his spirit’s alive,
A reminder that the battle for justice is not yet won.
In the wake of his tragic death, change took flight,
The winds of civil rights blowing mightily.

His story woven into the fabric of a grand movement,
Propelling the fight for equality, hand in hand.
Though justice may have faltered in the courtroom,
Emmett's voice echoes still, a reminder for all.

Author’s Note

• Read about Emmett Till on Wikipedia.

• Bob Dylan also wrote a song, The Death of Emmett Till.

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