Death of Innocence

So I usually only do posts that include pictures of what we've been doing lately so I decided to change it up. School is absolutely crazy this semester. I am taking 19 credits so that I can graduate in 2 more semesters. For those of you who aren't schooled in the matter of college credits, thats a lot! I normally would only take about 14 or 15 credits. Any who, thats not really what this post is about. One of the classes I am taking is a special seminar class. Basically we will be reading 3 novels and then the authors come on a Saturday(all day) and speak to us. The first book we read was really good. It is called Death of Innocence, thus the title. It is the story of Emmett Till and his mother Mamie Till-Mobley. If you don't the story(like I didn't), I'll inform you.



***Disclaimer*** I will give away the ending of this book *** Also I am posting a picture of what Emmett looked like when he was beaten to death. It is gruesome so if you don't want to see it don't look down!!

Emmett Till was a 14 year-old boy who was lynched(a murder because of racial hate) by to white men when he was visiting Money,Mississippi. Emmett was from Chicago but was visiting family in Mississippi. He was only in Money for a week when he and some of his cousins were getting some candy from a local grocery store. When the boys were outside of the store, it is said that Emmett whistled at the white women who worked in the store, Carolyn Bryant. It is ambiguous whether Emmett actually whistled at the women or was whistling because thats what his mother taught him to do when he stumbled over a word. Emmett had a stuttering problem when he spoke.

So the boys immediately left because they were afraid of what might happen to them. A black kid did not whistle at a white women in Mississippi in the 1950's. Three days passed by without incident. But then one night a group of white men, led by Roy Bryant(Carolyn's husband) and J.W. Milam( Bryant's half brother) came to the house where Emmett was staying. They dragged him out of the house and carried him to a local plantation. Here they beat Emmett to death and then threw his body in the river. All because he had "maybe" whistled at a white woman.


When Emmett's mother Mamie found out she made a very bold statement by having Emmetts funeral as an open casket. Emmett was hardly recognizable when they found his body. Mamie became a hero for what she did. She made her mourning into a public event and this helped to start the civil rights movement. It is said that Emmett Till's death is one of the reasons why Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat.

Sorry, that turned into a longer explanation than I intended. So the co-author of the book, Christopher Benson, a professor and journalist from Illinois came and talked to us on Saturday. He wrote the book from the personal memoirs of Mamie Till-Mobley. He would sit down with Mamie and just listen to her tell her story. Sadly, Mamie died shortly before the book was finished. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It is wonderfully written and Christopher Benson has managed to capture Mamie Mobley's essence in the book. Many times I felt as if I was actually experiencing what was happening. Mamie Till-Mobley is a hero in my book. If you are looking for a good book to read, this is it!! I