In August 1955, Mamie Till-Mobley of Chicago sent her only child, 14 year-old Emmett Louis Till, to visit relatives in the Mississippi Delta. Little did she know that only 8 days later, Emmett would be abducted from his Great-Uncle’s home, brutally beaten and murdered by one of the oldest Southern taboos: whistling at a white woman in public. The murderers were soon arrested but later acquitted of murder by an all-white, all-male jury.
Keith Beauchamp’s groundbreaking film is the result of a 10-year journey to uncover the truth behind the nightmarish murder of an innocent African-American teenager. Emmett’s brutal murder – and his family’s brave actions in the horrifying aftermath- served as a major impetus for America’s civil rights movement and led to Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to make decisions that changed the course of history.
Discover for yourself why the Chicago Tribune wrote, “If you don’t believe film can change the world, you haven’t seen The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till.”Simple yet riveting, The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till articulates the madness of racism in the South of the 1950s. Combining archival photos and footage with deeply felt interviews, this documentary tells the harrowing story of what happened when a mischievous 14 year old black boy from Chicago, visiting his relatives in Mississippi, whistled at a white woman in the street. The lynching that followed was so gruesome that a media circus surrounded the trial–and what stunned the nation was not only the crime, but the blithe unconcern the citizens of a small Mississippi town felt toward the brutal murder of a black teenager. The interviews suspensefully unveil the story, moving from the viewpoint of Till’s mother to the perspective of his Southern cousins to actual film of Till’s uncle, who had the astonishing courage to accuse the two killers in court. Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, addressed the entire country in news footage, begging that something be done so that her son did not die in vain. The awkward, un-media-savvy quality of the 1950s interviews may seem to come from another world, but the harsh truth of what happened sprang all too clearly from America’s still unresolved racial conflicts. A passionate, compelling documentary. –Bret Fetzer
Buy “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till” For Only $4.29
January 26, 2006
#1
An excellent and touching documentary about a period in American history when racism was strong and human decentcy was sometimes absent.
January 26, 2006
#2
I have not yet received my order. I have written the supplier several times looking for my order. No one have answered my request. Please find my order and ship it to me ASAP. I think that the failure to respond to my inquiries and responses is a sign of poor business performance.
January 26, 2006
#3
While stationed in Iraq, I realized that Black history month had crept up on me and it would be educational to read or watch movies reflecting the strugfle of our people.
I initially tried to purchase “Eyes On The Prize”; however, when I saw this documentary, I decided to try it. One thing I can tell you is that it finally answered the one question that has pondered my heart for about 17 years….. How did Mamie Till survive and live life after seeing her baby tortured and savagely destroyed for no logical reason under the heavens?
As it turned out, he was an “angel in disguise born with a God guided purpose”…… He was never hers at all.
January 26, 2006
#4
This documentary is an excellent tribute to the life of Emmett Till whose death sparked the Civil Rights Movement into fast forward. It presents new evidence that motivated the FBI to reopen the case after 50 years! This is a must see for all Americans!
January 26, 2006
#5
I was about 15 years old in the tenth grade when I heard about this story for the first time as Emitts mother re-told the famous story again to Oprah Winfrey on her show. I remember Oprah warning the audience about the upcoming images being very graphic…I didnt care, (as usual) I wanted to see how the boy looked after hearing that horrible story. Oprah said that photo of his face was on the cover of JET magazine etc…. When that photo flashed across that screen I was literlly in shock, could not move. I dreamed nightmares of that image back when I was younger. That was in the 90′s I am 33 years old now with 2 children of my own & my god forbid that ever is to occur with any of my kids. That image has haunted me all these years until I would tell & ask anybody about this story.
I got this DVD a couple of years ago. I watch it every Black History month with my now 11 year old daughter. As a child you realize this is a terrible story. But as an adult & parent you feel this mothers pain, you respect her as a woman & mother- having so much courage…as to show the world the UGLY face of EVIL & RACISM during that time. & To know that this 14 year old young man was beaten, toutured, shot & killed, by these evil cold hearted white men because the boy “whistled” at a white lady (& not hardly the best looking white woman, at that—trust me, if you seen her, its like “OH PLEASE”!) you think OMG…this was senseless & rediculous the boy had to lose his life over something like that? White people made their own STUPID RULES back in the South against Black people & they were called “Jim Crow laws”.
The Killers didn’t get to do any jail time during that time thanks to an all WHITE JURY (as usual). But later on many years later sadly after Emitt’s mom passes away…Justice does prevail. But I am almost certain that image of Emitt’s disfigured, decomposed, face haunted those evil men for many years (thats a form of justice in itself). Especially since they thought that body would never be found.
AMERICA has a seriously UGLY past & it began with SLAVERY. These films & documentaries are very educational & important parts of AMERICAN HISTORY. If the schools arent teaching your children, you should consider buying these DVD’s & doing it yourself.