Research Guides: Emmett Till Project: Newspaper Articles

Newspaper Articles From the Time

2 Men Acquitted of Killing Boy, Still Face Trial As His Kidnappers One month after the killing of Emmett Till, it's reported the two killers are acquitted. Includes a story about the response from papers in Europe.
2 Men Freed of All Charges in Till Case Three months after the murder, the killers were cleared of kidnapping charges.
Boycott is Urged in Youth's Killing The New York Times reports in October of 1955 that demonstrations were occurring in response to the trial and verdict
Ad for "Mississippi" - A New Verse Play By January of 1956, the story was being adapted by artists, here in the form of a stage play. (Read more about Emmett Till in art and literature in the Journal Articles section of this guide)

Again Murder Unpunished Emmett Till continued to be the premier example of racial injustice in the south, as seen in this article covering a different series of murders ten years later.
The Ghost of Emmett Till In this 2004 article, calls for justice continue based on evidence gathered throughout the years.
In Era of Black Lives Matter, Filmmakers Focus on an Infamous Crime: Multiple Projects Shine Spotlight On Emmett Till The over 60-year-old case is one of many to be highlighted in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Biden signs bill making lynching a federal hate crime In 2022, President Biden made lynching a federal hate crime with a bill named after Emmett Till.

Clarissa Start on Media and Propoganda Three years after Emmett Till's death, author Clarissa Start notes here racially-motivated conspiracy theories emerging in southern newspapers.
DNA Confirms Body is Emmett Till's It would take 50 years and the exhuming of Emmett's body for DNA testing to put the conspiracy to rest, as reported on here in USA Today (2005)