Please view this video and leave a comment regarding how the injustice that Emmett Louis Till experienced is relatable to more recent black deaths.
35 thoughts on “Awakenings”
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Please view this video and leave a comment regarding how the injustice that Emmett Louis Till experienced is relatable to more recent black deaths.
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Watching this video really made me realize that how far our process was from way back then to now. Back then the blacks had it really bad back then. I also think that black people should’ve had the right to get an education if they wanted to. White people should now have the option to make that decision for them.
What upsets and bothers me the most is that the killing of Emmitt Till occurred in 1955. It’s 2020. That was 65 years ago, and nothing has changed but the day. There have been hundreds of killings of African Americans, due to white policeman brutality. Every time I turn on the news, another person of color has been murdered by an inhumane human being. This is not okay and it has got to come to an end. Killing innocent black people is never okay and it seems as if it is just happening more and more instead of stopping. White people have never liked African Americans so killing them is right up their ally. Violence is never the option and I am sick and tired of our race being killed for absolutely no reason. This has to end, it has to.
The Bus Boycott in Montgomery Alabama after the arrest of Rosa Parks had a major impact on de segregation. Blacks walked and shared rides for months. The economy for bus company suffered because of the boycott. The Supreme Court eventually said that it was illegal to have segregation on public buses. People died for us to have equal rights while protesting. They protested for fair housing, equal opportunities, job salaries and voting rights. Whites began to protest with them due to empathy and sympathy. Women didn’t have the right to vote, therefore many white women protested for this right. Blacks began to file law suites and obtain constitutional rights within the law. Although the courts wrote laws against blacks, lawyers found ways to counter act those laws. Even in todays society, certain laws make states, cities and regions run great or poorly, depending on functionality towards citizens.
Remembering Emmett Tills death brings so much pain back for me seeing how someone could do this to a child. A child who was not even from there and did not know any better. Comparing the injustice Emmett received and whats happening now its nothing different. We have lynchings of people regularly now as if we were back in slave times and all coos are doing is ruling them as suicides when evidence says otherwise and no one is saying anything about it it s very sickening.
Watching this really reminded me of the injustice that we faced back then and are very much so still facing now Emmet Tills Case was a very eye opening case just because of the way it showed me how even then the simplest things could cost you your life. Just like many other young blacks emmet till was taken away too soon and it was plainly for something so stupid and little. Just like with how in today’s world just the way you look or the way you are perceived and get you killed.
Watching this just takes me back with how much progress we’ve made as blacks. Yes we’re still facing struggles and racism but the amount of growth we’ve had is amazing. I can’t believe how comfortable a person can be to beat up a 14 year old boy. Knowing that him and his men would get away with this horrible crime. What Rosa Parks did spoke volumes to the cause at hand. For I truly believe that black people knew what needed to be done.
After watching this video it left me sad and shocked Emmett Till’s case it’s crazy how were suppose to be free and this stuff is still going on in this world today. Blacks are still being treated unfairly the police are still killing young African American men and women for no reason Emmett Till’s was only 14 years old that was wrongly accused for being offensive to at white women at a grocery store and was literally beaten to death and killed and still didn’t not get any justice. Everything that happen back then is still going on til this day police brutality has gotten worse and justice is still not being received.
After watching this video it had me in tears. Still till this day african americans are being wrongfully treated and convicted. Police are killing african american men left and right and families not receiving justice. Events that have occurred back then still happen till this day. It’s truly sad and unfair that black men and women got beat and lost their lives over cops being prejudice. I truly feel the things that happened back then shouldn’t be happening because we live in a new era, people are so stuck in the old ways especially white people it’s sad. They want to see black people mot be successful.
This video has reminded me of many things done by passed activist and how much they fought for us. History is repeating itself in many ways. I do believe we’ve progressed in trying to move away from racism, but I don’t believe racism has ended or will ever end. The Emmet Till story still upsets me, and every time I watch a video or read something about him I learn more things about the case that saddens or angers me. It upsets me that Till was only punished because the women and “witnesses” were white. In middle school I went to school with a black boy who was put in juvenile because a white girl accused him of child pornography, 5 years later he was released because they found out she had been lying and was upset at him for something in their relationship. I say this to say that this cycle may never end, it seems as if people/authorities will always believe them over us.
I remember learning about the story of emmet till at a very young age. It wasn’t until I was older that I actually understood the horrible nature of his death. His death has always been heartbreaking and enraging to me. He was only 14 years old, a baby and he was murdered in a brutal way for simply speaking to a white woman. I’ve always founded it even more crazier that the woman responsible for his death still walked around freely during my lifetime. (Not sure if she’s still alive today). Many people try to make it seem as though these events happened so long ago but some of the African Americans who experienced this today as well as those racist white people are still alive today. I had a teacher in 9th grade who said that true racist people don’t exist today, that only the offsprings of those racists are around and are only acting how they were taught to act. I think that he is completely wrong. These attitude last towards African Americans and other people of color are still around today in 2020. In fact I believe that since the election of trump we’ve seen that racism is still around today
If you didn’t know the time period of when this occurred you’d think it was today because of how the fight is still going on in modern day. There is still no equality in today’s society and black people are still protesting to receive equal rights
This film that was apart of the series of Eyes On The Prize was very detailed, hard to watch realistic and sad at the same time program. Emmett Till’s case being the center of the movie was hard to watch even though I had heard of what happened to him. Emmett story will always be a heartbreaking one to me. Because although he was not killed during the lifetime of my existence, his murder shook up the black community everywhere. Now that were in 2020 it seems like were traveling backwards instead of going forward since cops are going on witch hunts just to go hunt black people down and kill them.
Even in the year 2020, blacks are still being treated unfairly. I already know a lot about the story of Emmett Till because that story really hit me hard growing up. It really does frustrates me to know that a 14 year old boy was murdered because he whistled at a white woman. Now white use the power of the law force to evict damage to African Americans. They take our kindness for weakness, even when we move peacefully we still are harm. It really is sad to say that even in 2020 little has change.
The thoughts in my head while watching this video was that this was not before dinosaurs. This is history that happened not long ago that still continues to thus day. Watching this Emmett Till video was very disturbing. History is repeating itself in 2020 in different way with different methods.
Watching this video brought sadness to my heart for the murder of Emmet Till and the trial. Also while watching the video it brought a sense of relief when the bus boycott started and segregation began to be challenged. In the video a woman spoke on how it wasn’t the intension to stop segregation but rather have a better, more updated version of segregation. I was really disturbed on the fact that the killers of Emmet Till received pay to tell their “side” of the story and still was never held accountable. That deeply bothered me. Over all i felt that the video was very informational and opened my eyes more to how history repeats itself.
When I watched this video, it made me realize that everything is being repeated all over again. The racism that occurred back then is still around. The situations and the outcomes end the same, the white people are freed even when it’s clear they committed the crime. The Emmitt Till story really upset me because it showed the difference between the north and the south and how he genuinely didn’t know the trouble who was going to face from speaking to a white women. He was killed at a young age over something so petty and also got no justice in the court room!
After watching this video it reminds me more and more everyday that was happened back then is still happening to African Americans today. The Emmett Till case was just one very upsetting event that occurred to me. He was only a 14 year old boy which is still a child, accused for whistling at a white woman and later executed. I believe that this is a never ending cycle, we are now in a new year and things are just getting worse and worse.
After watching the video I realized that history is repeating itself. With all the lynching and racist remarks, that they will never realize how much pain African Americans went through. The lynching of Emmit Till, every time I hear about this story I can not bare to listen, like how can you be that diabolical to a human being plus he was just 14 years old. The parents of Emmit Till buried their own son. No mother or father should ever go through that pain. Like white people are so messy, Rosa parks was already sitting down and they told her to go to the back of the bus, as being a male or really anybody you should go find another seat but naw they wanna make things complicated and make a fuss about it. Some of these white people (crackers) are very weird, they were weird back in the day and they weird now!
Watching this just takes me back with how much progress we’ve made as blacks. Yes we’re still facing struggles and racism but the amount of growth we’ve had is amazing. It’s so sad knowing that a 14 year old boy was murdered all because he told a white women bye. Even though i figured the men responsible for the murder were going to get away with it, it’s still astonishing knowing that they did. It’s so sick that whites could just have their way. Sickening to know that they actually think they are the superior race. What Rosa Parks did spoke volumes. For blacks to be willing to boycott and walk everywhere they went just to prove a point was a movement. I’m glad that things took a turn for something better.
Watching this video makes me realize that today’s time period blacks are still getting treated the same as they was back then. Blacks back then and now feel that we will never be treated equally to whites and never get the freedom we deserve. The same thing that happened to this boy in 1955 is still happening till this day to our people in 2020. We are speaking about conditions that are relatively recent and therefore still impacting us today. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., along with all of the individuals who chose to walk long distances by foot are heroes to this day. Emmitt Till is a case that just brings tears because who ever did it yea they went to trial but they still got away with it. Police brutality is becoming worse and no one receives justices. They take our kindness for weakness so we go from peacefully protesting to violence our voices need to be heard to make a change.
Watching this video makes me realize that today in 2020 blacks are still getting treated the same. Blacks back then and now feel that we will never be treated equally to whites and never get the freedom we deserve. The fact that if a black man looked at a white women and the law enforcement got involved is crazy. Nowadays they would even try and say he rapped her or did some kind of of sextual movement towards her. Emmitt Till is a case that just brings tears because who ever did it yea they went to trial but they still got away with it. Just like now with all of these Black Lives Matter cases the police are getting away and aren’t receiving any kind of punishment’s. Also at the begging of this clip the Negro Spirituals stood out to me because it was blacks way speaking how they felt and talking to God about their problems.
Honestly, watching this video definitely made me feel some type of way. It’s crazy how so many things like this that happened back then is still happening now. Black people will never get the treatment that they rightfully deserve. We will always be treated differently in any situation compared to a white person. Emmett Till didn’t deserve none of the things that he went through and neither did his family. Just like the events that are taking place today, none of my people are getting the justice that they deserve no matter how much we protest it’s always something new. I pray to God that the world can change because we don’t deserve half the things we are put through. I bet no other race would be able to even walk a mile in our shoes.
I agree with the sentiment and spirit of what you have commented on. One of the most pressing issues is the reality that the suffering placed on the shoulders of black men and backs of black women has been intentional and is therefore inexcusable.
You are certainly correct that Emmett Louis Till did not deserve any of the treatment that he received, however, such is the history of American race relations then as well as now (Breonna Taylor). Although difficult to say, at least Till’s killers stood trial, Breonna Taylor’s did not.
Great comment!!!!!
This video made me realize we are still dealing with certain issues in the year today. They executed a small boy for whistling/ saying bye to a white woman because he was black! That makes me angry. If you ask me, I feel like everyone involved should die a painful death. They knew they were wrong and that white woman knew she was foul for lying on a 14yr old boy. They wanted to show howsuperior they are and how easy it is to get off on killing black folk. I feel like whoever is alive now and was a known racist should face in life or jail or should die. This makes me angry. Its hard to love a country who doesn’t care for you or your needs. I would never.
Very interesting comment. I do not disagree with your righteous indignation at wrong, that is a quality that I hope you never relinquish, however, I must warn you against allowing evildoers to lay ownership to this nation. They did not build this nation and therefore really do not have a claim to it. I will never relinquish a single claim to these dastardly rascals and their descendants.
As I watched the video I noticed that not much has changed since then. Black men are still falsely accused of sexually harassing white women and being arrested for crimes that they didn’t commit. For example, Emmitt till was a young boy accused of whistling at a white women and was executed for it. That’s sickening that they did executed a young teenager. It is now 2020 and not much has changed and as they say “History repeats itself”.
I have ALWAYS stood against all assertions that “history repeats itself”, however, when Till’s death (1955) is placed alongside the series of murders that we have seen this year, I must concede that history has repeated itself. Great observation. These matters always put me in a mindstate that questions if our white countrymen will ever be able to get themselves correct.
As I watch this video, it shocks me that as of today, we are going through the same situations that happened before our time. For example, Emmett Till was falsely accused, of offending a white woman in a grocery store. A 14-year-old boy was beaten to death due to that assumption. I saw someone mention Tamar Rice. He was accused of having a gun ( yet it was a toy gun) and lost his life due to being a threat. The Emmett Till incident happened in 1955, and the Tamar Rice incident happened in 2014. It is now 2020, and this injustice is still going on right under our noses. I do not think it will never end. It feels like we have no choice but to live in a horror story due to the justice system. Although it has improved in some parts, it will never bring back the lives that took violently.
Kennedy, I agree with all of your points regarding injustice in this nation. As H. Rap Brown put it, violence in America is as American as apple pie. Despite what protestors would like to assert, it is one of the most consistent qualities of our white countrymen. In many ways, hatred, vilification, and violence toward “blacks” has been a rallying point for “whites.”
After I watched the video I noticed that we are still going through the same thing today. We are not fully free we still fight for respect and justice. Hearing the story about Emmett Till if very disturbing because of how young he was and they way he lost his life. History does repeats its self instead of whips to our backs its guns. Police brutality is becoming worse and no one receives justices. They take our kindness for weakness so we go from peacefully protesting to violence our voices need to be heard to make a change. And for the ones who took action in the video i am grateful because times could have been much more worse than it is now.
Hello Daja, your commentary reminds me of the great Frederick Douglass quote that “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and it never will.” The onus is on the oppressed to fight powerful evildoers. So, it is crucial that we train up the next generation of emboldened, educated, astute, and articulate blacks to get on this battlefield for racial justice. We need much more than equality, we must demand justice!!!!!
I had forgotten some of the details of the bus boycott and how very important it was in the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., along with all of the individuals who chose to walk long distances by foot are heroes to this day. Making such a statement on the national level was extremely important for the advancement of the movement on its ultimate goal of ending segregation and unfair treatment of African Americans. What shocked me the most from this video was remembering the dates of some of these major events and how they really were not that long ago. The death of Emmitt Till, Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination, and the bus boycott all occurred during the lifetimes of many of our grandparents, many of which are still alive today. This put into perspective for me that the injustices African Americans face today are similar to the injustices that this population faced in the 1950’s, yet we still don’t have it right as a country yet. I know that Americans will continue to fight for justice, and historic events like the ones documented in this film give me pride and thankfulness to the heroes who took action in changing the societal “norms”. However in the same breath, my heart hurts for all of the many individuals and families who are affected by these ongoing injustices both in the past and present.
One of the most startling realities that one can arrive at is that we are not talking about ancient history. We are speaking about conditions that are relatively recent and therefore still impacting us today. It is important that American collegians such as yourself broaden your minds and take a stand against ALL injustice. My generation truly got it wrong in many ways and fortunately, our time is evaporating. The world has and always belongs to the youth. Don’t waste your time centerstage because the clock is ticking for your exit.
As i am watching this video i realize that we are not free. History is repeating its self before our eyes and this is so scary to see. The same thing that happened to this boy in 1955 is still happening till this day to our people in 2020. The police have never been on our side, who can we really call on in the time of need. The names of African Americans whos life have been taken away by police officers and the white people are way to long to name in this space and that is hard to even say. History will keep repeating its self untill there is a major change in the way people think and act towards people of color. There was a side by side picture of Emmett Till and Tamir Rice with the dates that they died and it gave me chills knowing that these young boys life was taken the same way. There was no reason for Emmett Till to die and not receive justice, which is the same extact thing that happened to Breonna Taylor. Sad to say that in 2020 our people are still not looked at as free.
Great comment!!!! Please do not allow a subset of humans — the evildoers in our midst — to serve as evaluators for our status. In the words of Malcolm X, “Who are they to be equal to?” They are truly beneath us in every way imaginable.