Emmett Louis Till was a 14-year-old African-American boy from Chicago who was abducted, tortured and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman in her family's grocery store while visiting his uncle and cousins

Emmett Louis Till was a 14-year-old African-American boy from Chicago who was abducted, tortured and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman in her family's grocery store while visiting his uncle and cousins. 

Emmett’s body was found in Tallahatchie River in Mississippi by a young fisherman. He was floating upside down because he was tied by his neck to a cotton gin fan with barbed wire. 

The fisherman called the authorities. 

Emmets body was brutally mutilated by Roy Bryant, and his half-brother J.W. Milam. His attackers stripped him naked, beat him, shot him through the side of the head, gouged out one, left his other hanging on his cheek, and cut of his genitalia. 

The only person that could identify Emmett’s body was his uncle, Moses (Mose). He recognized Emmett’s ring on his his middle finger. The ring was his late fathers custom ring that was engraved with LT, for Louis Till. 

Authorities quickly started to process Emmets body and planned bury him in Mississippi. Mamie Till, His mother, refused and had him transported back to Chicago for an open casket funeral. Mamie wanted everyone to see what his attackers had did. More that 3,000 people came to pay respects to Emmett. 

Emmett’s attacker did go on trial. Emmett’s uncle pointed out that it was Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam who kidnapped and killed Emmett. However, they were acquitted because Emmett’s body couldn’t be identified by the court. 

Carolyn Bryant later confessed that Emmett Till did nothing wrong.

I chose to make him the centerpiece of my newest project because I wanted to teach everyone a very important part of history through music. Also to humble myself, see the world through Emmett’s eyes and celebrate Emmett’s life. Emmett could’ve been any of you or your children. Life is so precious and short. We need to protect and appreciate our children more.

Note: This is the second installment of my series that begun with my album Memorial Day where I chronicle the life of Peter/ Gordon, a former slave than ran away and joined the military.

TO WATCH THE VIDEO AND TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THIS ARTICLE CLICK HERE.