Emmett Till

Getting Away with Murder:

The True Story of the Emmett Till Case

By Chris Crowe

Pages: 128

ISBN:0803728042

Genre: Bibliography

Setting: Money, Mississippi in 1954

The story of Emmett Till is the beginning of the civil rights movement. Reading through this story you learn of the history of our United States. It wasn’t always peaches and sugar blossoms. Emmett Till was a black, fourteen year old when he left Chicago in the summer of 1954 to go visit his uncle in Money Mississippi. He was like most 14 year olds, he thought he was invincible and didn’t understand the rules completely. When he was bragging to his new friends in the south about how back home his “girlfriend” the picture he showed was a magazine cut out of a white woman. The boys got to talking and Emmett went into a store and talked to a white woman. It isn’t 100% clear what was said and exactly what happened but in this time things like that weren’t said. After the woman’s husband got wind of the incident he went after Emmett. He went to Emmett’s uncle’s house and beat on the door asking for “the boy who done the talking.” After taking him to the car and confirming that Emmett was the boy they drove off with Emmett. The next time Emmett was found he was so badly beaten that he was unrecognizable besides the ring he wore.

I think that this book was well written, it is the perfect introduction to the civil rights movements. Specially because Emmett was the same age as most of these kids that will end up reading this book. I like how it isn’t all words. He shows the pictures that he talks about. It helps make the story real and it starts to form questions in my own head. After reading the book I wrote my grandma asking her if she remembered the Emmett Till story. I called my dad and asked him if he’d heard of it. I ask all my friends. I get into deep discussions about the whole thing. It gives me a greater understanding for what I do have.