The Lessons of Emmett Till

Dr. Kevin Vichcales, dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Services, author Devery S. Anderson, and Dr. Roger Barnes, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice

A packed-to-capacity crowd greeted Dr. Roger Barnes, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, this fall when he hosted author Devery S. Anderson at the UIW Concert Hall. Anderson, who penned Emmett Till: The Murder at Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement (University Press of Mississippi), discussed the murder of 14-year-old Till, the landmark case that followed and the aftermath of the killers’ acquittal.

Nationwide outrage and protests would put civil rights into the national spotlight and help spur the movement.

The book is the first comprehensive account of the 1955 case, and is a critical read for those seeking deeper understanding of the country’s relationship with civil rights.

 

For further reading, Dr. Barnes Recommends:

The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson (Simon & Schuster)

Simeon’s Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till by Simeon Wright with Herb Boyd (Chicago Review Press)