It’s taken me a while to write this post after seeing the film Till a few weeks ago. It’s a film that brought deep anger, indescribable sorrow and, at times, uncontrollable tears in a matter of minutes. The depth as which I felt these feelings is something I’ve not experienced whilst watching a film before.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this film, it tells Mamie Tills’, story after the lynching of her 14-year-old son, Emmett, who was abducted, tortured and brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly flirting with a white woman. I was challenged emotionally. I was angry at almost every aspect of the film; at Mamie for allowing her son to visit his cousins in the South when (it looked like) she had doubts about him going. I was angry at Emmett for not taking his mothers’ warnings on how to behave when in the South (which differed from the north) seriously. I was angry with Carolyn Bryant Donham (the shop owner who accused Emmett of flirting with her) for not seeing a boy who was innocently interacting with her. I was angry at the racism that existed in the South that meant black people where seen a less than human, not having the right to even interact with a white person in (what they would describe as) the “wrong way”. I am angry at the black men who helped to kidnap Emmett – which speaks to the power of systemic racism, coercing others into silencing colluding with social norm. And I am angry that there are those who believe I couldn’t understand Mamie’s pain because I don’t have children.

After learning of her son’s death, Mamie insisted on the return of her son’s body, which they wanted to hide,  where she courageously shared his mutilated body both with the press and with an open casket funeral, where these images shocked the world. I can’t fully say what drove her to take this brave and bold move especially when others criticised her for this, I guess her anger fuelled her determination for justice. Although her actions was a catalyst to the Civil Rights Movement, despite all their efforts Mamie and her family received NO JUSTICE for her sons’ death. The men, Donham’s husband Roy and half-brother, John Milam, were acquitted however took advantaged of the double jeopardy law and confessed to Emmett’s murder 2 years later, with the Till family are calling for the arrest of Carolyn Bryant Donham who is still alive after finding an unserved warrant for Donham’s arrest. I’d like to say that such injustices are in the past but sadly I see the same stories of injustice against racism, witness intimidation, victimisation etc existing today.

Till is a hard and essential watch, my only advice is to check you emotional vulnerability (you may need to be in a stronger place to watch this film) and exercise self-care – you’re gonna need it.

#film #emmetttill #till #civilrightsmovement #justiceforemmetttill #mamietill #mamietillmobley #dealingwithgrief #dreamingofalifeunlived #livingwithoutchildren