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Mississippi mobsters dragged fourteen-year-old Emmett Till from his bed and beat
Featured Event 1955 Event

August 24

Emmett Till's Murder: A Bullet Ignites Civil Rights

Mississippi mobsters dragged fourteen-year-old Emmett Till from his bed and beat him to death for allegedly whistling at a white woman. The brutal murder and the subsequent acquittal of his killers ignited national outrage that propelled the modern Civil Rights Movement into full gear, turning local tragedy into a catalyst for nationwide protest.

August 24, 1955

71 years ago

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