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History Daily

The Murder of Emmett Till

History Daily

Airship | Noiser | Wondery

History

4.42.1K Ratings

🗓️ 28 August 2023

⏱️ 21 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

August 28, 1955. While visiting relatives in Mississippi, Chicago-born Emmett Till is murdered by two white men for allegedly flirting with a white woman, a shocking crime that will provide a catalyst for the emerging civil rights movement in the United States.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily Add Free.

0:03.7

Listen with Wondery Plus in the Wondery app,

0:06.0

or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at intohistory.com.

0:13.0

A listener note, this episode contains references to racial violence that may not be suitable for all audiences.

0:18.7

It's August 24, 1955, in the small town of Monty, Mississippi.

0:33.4

21-year-old Carol Bryant, a white store clerk, sits behind the register inside Brian's

0:38.0

grocery and meat market, the only store in this remote backwater town.

0:42.4

Carolyn co-owns it with her husband Roy, mainly catering to local sharecroppers who come

0:47.4

in to play checkers and drink soda on the sidewalk.

0:50.6

Carolyn looks up as the door swings open and a pair of black teenagers enters.

0:55.2

She narrows her eyes and watches suspiciously as one of the boys approaches the counter.

0:59.9

Carolyn doesn't like his demeanor. He's walking with confidence, almost a swagger.

1:05.3

He reaches into the candy jar and removes a gunball.

1:08.7

Carolyn says coldly, that'll be two cents, but as she goes to take the money she freezes,

1:14.4

the boy is looking her directly in the eye and smiling.

1:18.4

Carolyn's speechless. She doesn't remember the last time a black person had the

1:22.3

temerity to meet her gaze. Sensing Carolyn's shock, the boy's smile fades.

1:28.0

He slides the coins across the counter and hurries out of the store.

1:32.0

But Carolyn isn't going to let such incidents go unpunished.

1:36.4

She stands up and follows the boy out onto the street where he's already laughing and joking

1:41.2

around with his friends. And as Carolyn stands outside the store, the boy turns to look at her and

1:46.8

then does something unspeakable. Carolyn flinches. The men playing checkers on the street all stop

...

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