Today, we remember Emmett Till, a Black child whose life was stolen from him by white domestic terrorists in 1955. Till was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered in a horrific act of racial violence that shook the nation. The two perpetrators not only walked free but also profited from their heinous crime by selling their story to Life Magazine.
Despite a memorial erected in Mississippi to honor Till’s memory, it has been repeatedly vandalized by those who seek to erase the truth of his tragic death. Even in death, Till continues to face brutality and desecration.
Recently, a bulletproof memorial was erected on the shores of the Tallahatchie River where Till’s body was dumped, in an effort to protect his memory from further harm.
August 28, 2024, marks the 69th anniversary of Emmett Till’s murder. Despite the passage of time, the white nationalist hate that took his life still lingers, claiming the lives of countless other Black individuals like Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and Breonna Taylor.
A Trump-appointed judge recently dropped federal charges against the cops who killed Breonna Taylor, shifting the blame onto her boyfriend instead. This decision reflects a troubling pattern of injustice in our legal system.
As we face ongoing challenges to racial justice, it is more important than ever to exercise our right to vote and demand accountability for those who perpetuate harm against Black communities.