In August 1955, while on vacation in the Mississippi Delta, 16-year-old Chicago resident and Reverend Wheeler Parker had a chilling encounter. His friend and cousin, Emmett Till, whistled at a white woman, which ultimately led to his abduction, torture, and murder by two white men. Although these perpetrators were acquitted by an all-white jury, they later confessed to their heinous crimes. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)
In the summer of 1955, two black teenagers, Wheeler Parker and Emmett Till, visited a white-owned grocery store in the Mississippi Delta. They had traveled from Chicago and stopped by the store operated by Roy and Carolyn Bryant to purchase candy.
In a region filled with the influence of the Ku Klux Klan and in rural towns shaped by the harsh realities of the Jim Crow era, Till and Parker went to Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market to make their purchases. Parker, who was 16 years old at the time, recalled how Carolyn Bryant followed them out of the store, seemingly to retrieve something from her car. It was in that moment on August 24th when Parker said that 14-year-old Till committed an act that was considered unthinkable for a Black male in the presence of a white woman, given the strict social codes of conduct that governed interactions in the South.
During a visit to the exhibitions of civil rights artwork and history at the University of Kansas’ Spencer Museum of Art, Parker recalled how Emmett had wolf whistled. “We were well aware of the customs and people of the South,” Parker explained. “When he whistled, we instinctively knew it was time to leave. There was no need for anyone to say, ‘Let’s go. Let’s get out of here.’ We all just hurried to the car.”
As they sped down the gravel and dirt roads, their car carried them towards the safety of their relatives’ home in Money, Mississippi. The worry of potential retaliation loomed over them, as they had unknowingly crossed a line with their playful whistling. This seemingly innocent act could be perceived as a forbidden public display of affection for a white woman. However, it wasn’t until the early morning of August 28th that something finally happened.
Roy Bryant and his half brother, John William Milam, were in the shack, brandishing a handgun and insisting on a conversation with the unruly boys from Chicago. Parker and Till, who were not only cousins but also close friends, were overcome with fear.
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh God, this is it. We’re going to die,’ ” Parker recalled. “I closed my eyes, preparing for the end.”
According to Wheeler, who is the sole remaining witness to the abduction of Till, the young boy known as Bobo, who had a speech impediment, went willingly with the two men. They placed him in the back of a truck and vanished into the darkness.
“That was the last time I laid eyes on him,” Wheeler recalled, his voice filled with a mix of sorrow and nostalgia. He went on to lead a fulfilling life as a minister and author, but the memory of that moment lingered with him. “It’s an experience you never want to go through. You feel utterly powerless,” he added, the weight of the past evident in his words.
According to the Rev. Wheeler Parker, the brutal murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till by white supremacists in Mississippi sparked a resurgence in the civil rights movement in 1955. The vandalized sign, pierced with bullet holes, serves as a powerful reminder of the racial tensions that still exist today.
Tortured injustice
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Till’s tragic fate was a result of a social hierarchy that thrived on brutality and fear to uphold racial discrimination. In death, he emerged as a symbol of the civil rights movement, shedding light on the inherent flaws within American democracy and justice.
“The grieving mother urged the world to witness the injustice inflicted upon her son.”
The images they witnessed were in stark contrast to those of the Mississippi courthouse during the murder trial. It was there that an all-white, all-male jury made the decision to acquit Bryant and Milam of Till’s murder. However, in 1956, once they were no longer at risk of prosecution, both men confessed to the crime in a story published by Look magazine.
According to Parker, the public’s interest in exploring and coming to terms with Till’s murder declined over the next 30 years. However, he noted that this began to change in the 1980s.
Parker, who is 85 years old, has been actively discussing the details surrounding Till’s tragic death and advocating for better race relations in the United States. Opening up about Till’s story, however, has been a challenging task for him.
Emmett Till’s story is far from pleasant or pretty, but it is a story that must be told. We need to uncover the truth and confront the harsh realities of the past. Sometimes, when I revisit that time, I find myself overwhelmed with emotion. It is difficult to comprehend how such a horrific event could have taken place. It forces us to confront the dark side of humanity and question how people could have acted in such a way.
Sydney Pursel, curator of public practice at the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas, engages in a conversation with the Reverend Wheeler Parker and Dave Tell, a professor of communication studies at KU. The discussion revolves around the art and historical exhibits at the museum that are connected to the tragic murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955.
Bullets and the signs
While at the KU campus, Parker attended a public event held at the Spencer Museum. The event was in connection with the traveling exhibition, “Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See,” which is currently on display at KU until May 19.
In 2019, Dave Tell, a communication studies professor at KU, played a crucial role in the establishment of the Emmett Till Memory Project. This innovative app sheds light on various locations linked to Till’s tragic murder, with a particular focus on the defaced signs that mark the Tallahatchie River site where Till’s body was discovered.
“The first sign disappeared when it was stolen and tossed into the river, never to be found again,” Tell revealed. “The second sign, riddled with an astonishing 317 bullet holes, eventually found its way to the Smithsonian. As for the third sign, it proudly stands here. And remarkably, the fourth sign remains intact, built to withstand bullets.”
Tell played a vital role in advising and guiding the design and content of the “Let the World See” exhibition. This exhibition was created in collaboration with the Till family and has been showcased at prestigious venues such as the National Civil Rights Museum, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
According to him, it’s not just about understanding the events that transpired in 1955. It’s also about acknowledging the immense difficulty in recounting the narrative of what occurred during that time.
The Rev. Wheeler Parker, a cousin of Emmett Till who was brutally murdered in 1955 by Mississippi racists, believes that this heinous crime served as a catalyst for the civil rights movement in the United States. Even after almost 70 years, the impact of Emmett Till’s murder still provides valuable insight into the progress made in race relations within the nation. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)
‘Come a long way’
The Spencer Museum held an accompanying exhibition titled “One History, Two Versions,” showcasing the artwork of contemporary Black artists who delve into themes of racial violence and justice movements. This exhibit served as an expansion of the concepts explored in the Till exhibit and is scheduled to be on display until June 16, according to Sydney Pursel, the curator for public practice at the Spencer Museum.
According to the curator, the artwork is characterized by its size, boldness, and vibrant colors. It delves deeper into the various aspects of Emmett and Mamie’s story, such as the profound love between a mother and her children, as well as the changing landscape of media representation and activism over the years. Nevertheless, the curator acknowledges that there is still much progress to be made in the ongoing battle for racial justice.
Parker expressed his belief that the convergence of art and history, exemplified by the river marker displaying 10 bullet wounds, provides valuable insight into the pervasive issue of racism in America.
According to the minister, the presence of bullet holes in a sign can convey a powerful narrative. It serves as a reminder of the current state of affairs and the immense amount of progress that still needs to be made.
According to the speaker, the world of 1955 is no more. This is due to the fact that there has been a significant shift in the attitudes and actions of law enforcement officers, juries, judges, prosecutors, and the general public when it comes to racially motivated crime.
According to Parker, there has been a significant shift in the atmosphere and attitude. He believes that progress has been made in terms of reconciliation. Parker often reflects on the sacrifices made by individuals like Emmett and emphasizes the importance of moving away from hatred.