WASHINGTON, D.C.–The murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Money, Miss. in 1955 helped wake many people in the country up to what was happening to African-Americans in Mississippi and other southern states. Monday a tree was planted in his honor on the parkland surrounding the Capitol building.
The sycamore planting was sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), Attorney General Eric Holder and Janet Langhart Cohen, author of the play Anne and Emmett also participated.
“Many historians point to Emmett Till’s death as having ignited the civil rights movement, and ultimately led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965,” said Cochran.
“Emmett Till’s legacy carries with it memories of the risks so many took in my state, and elsewhere, in efforts to advance the cause of racial justice. This tree is a symbol of their sacrifices, too.
“I am proud of the progress my state and our nation have made since those times, and I appreciate the contributions of so many leaders who made it possible. We do still face challenges, but I am hopeful that Emmett Till’s life, and this tree planted in his honor, will serve as reminders to all of where we’ve been and to be dedicated to justice for all through our examples now and in the future of the United States.”
“Today is another step in remembering our history,” said Wicker, who talked about Mississippi’s painful past. “It’s a step along the way, much as the dedication of the Civil Rights Museum in Mississippi later on will be.”
Till, who was visiting relatives from Chicago, was murdered by two Mississippi men after he was heard “wolf whistling” at one of the men’s wives. He was beaten, shot, possibly stabbed with a screwdriver, his body mutilated and tied to a cotton gin fan before being thrown into the Tallahatchie River near Glendora.
The two men were acquitted by an all white jury, but later confessed their crime to a magazine.
