Violence that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement
Murder of Emmit Till
Emmitt Till was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 25, 1941. In August of 1955, Emmitt left to stay with his family in Mississippi. Right away he found friends to spend his summer with. On august 24, 1955 he joined a group of teenagers, one girl and seven boys. They went to a grocery store owned by Roy and Carolyn Bryant. On August 28, 1955 Roy Bryant and his half brother, J.W. Miliam, kidnapped Emmitt Till from Moses Wright's (Emmitt's uncle) house. They were seen brutally murdering Emmitt. They murdered Till because he allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant, Roy's wife.
Murder of Medgar Evers
Medgar Evers was a Mississippi raised and born African American who later enlisted in the army in 1943. From serving ion the army he began to realize that his skin color gave him no freedom. He began getting involved in boycotts against white merchants and was instrumental in eventually desegregating the University of Mississippi. From participating in many events like these, Evers found himself to be a huge target of many threats. His investigation on the murder of Emmitt Till and vocal support on Clyde Kennard made him vulnerable to attack. After leaving the NAACP office, five days before him death, Evers was nearly ran over car. On June 12, 1963, after Evers left a meeting with NAACP lawyers, he was shot in the back with a bullet while someone shouted "Jim Crow Must Go". He was buried on June 19th at the Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors and a crowd of more than 3,000 people. On June 23rd, a KKK member and member of the White Citizens' Council, Byron De La Beckwith, was arrested for the murder of Evers.
Bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church
The 16th street Baptist Church was a meeting place for civil rights leaders. When the southern Christian Leadership conference and the Congress on racial equality became involved on letting African Americans register to vote tensions rose. On September 15, 1963 a white man was seen placing a box under the steps of the church. At 10:22 am that day, the bomb exploded killing Denis McNair (11), Addie Collins (14), Carole Robertson (14), and Cynthia Wesley (14), others were hurt. A member of the KKK, Robert Chamliss, was arrested and convicted of murder and possession of the box with the bomb.
Assassination of Malcolm X
Malcolm X was one of the most influential and inspiring African Americans figures. Throughout research on his murder, no one could actually figure out the reson for his murder. Malcolm gave countless speeches, and participated in numerous debates and press conferences. In his autobiography he explains that everyday when he wakes up he feels like it is another day borrowed and that he felt that during every even he was at there was a black man waiting for a chance to kill him. there were many that were convicted for his murder. There is a theory that three members from the Islam nation, Talmadge Hayer, Norman 3X butler, and Thoman 15X Johnson, all worked together to kill him without any help from outside powers, becuase of his viewpoints on racism and his conversion into an Orthdox Islam.