The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till

Part I

  1. When was Emmett Till Born?
  2. What is the name of Emmett Till’s mother?
  3. Who raised Emmett while his mother worked?
  4. What were some of the Jim Crow Laws during the time in which Emmett Till lived?
  5. What could happen to a Black person for saying “yeah” to a White person and not addressing them by their name?
  6. What were the consequences for a Black person not being able to vote?
  7. What gift did Emmett’s mother give him that he took with him to Money, Mississippi to show off?
  8. Why did Emmett go to Money Mississippi?
  9. What was the name of the country store that Emmett and his cousins went to in Money, Mississippi?
  10. What did Emmett do to Mrs. Bryant that made his cousins panic?
  11. Why did his cousins have this reaction?
  12. Where was Emmett visiting from?
  13. What is Emmett’s uncle’s name?
  14. Who came looking for Emmett at his uncle’s house and what were they carrying with them?
  15. Why did the men get irate with Emmett when they first approached him at his uncle’s house?
  16. How was Emmett’s family able to identify his body?
  17. Why did the Sheriff of Mississippi want an immediate burial?
  18. What was the instruction given by authorities regarding the pine box that Emmett was placed in? What was Emmett’s mother’s response to this instruction?
  19. How does Emmett’s mother describe her son when she viewed him?
  20. Why does Emmett’s mother decide to have an open casket funeral for her son?

Personal Response

Write a personal response to theEmmett Louis Till tragedy that occurred in Money Mississippi in 1955.

Discussion Questions

Do you think that the importance of voting back then and the importance of voting today is any different? Explain.

Do you agree with Emmett’s mother’s decision to have an open casket funeral for her son and do you think things would have been different had she not made the decisions that she did? Explain.

Why do you think Emmett’s southern cousins had a different reaction than he did after whistling at Mrs. Bryant?

Create two of you own discussion questions to discuss with the class.

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