CHICAGO METRO HISTORY FAIR 2013 SUMMARY STATEMENT FORM

PleaseTYPEon sheetor use wordprocessing ALLPROJECTS: Attach an annotated bibliography. Please divide primary and secondary sources from each other. Two copies of SSF & Annotated Bibliography are required for competitions. .

Title Emmett Till: Civil Rights Movement History Student name(s) Nihal Dayal Kodavarti_____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Project Category: Individual and

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This project uses the 2013 National History Day theme, Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events

1. THESISSTATEMENT
Present the projects argument or interpretation in two sentences. If you are using the NHD theme, you might want to make it evident in your thesis statement.

In 1955, the horror of Emmett Till's tragic murder made violence against AfricanAmericans in the South a harsh reality for the nation. The murder of this 14 year old Chicago native, became a unifying force that initiated the movement to establish equal rights for African-Americans in The United States.

2. SUMMARYOF PROJECT
Briefly explain your project and its conclusion. Include: How and why did change happen and what was the impact? Why is it historically significant? What historical meaning or importance can we learn from your findings?

The Emmett Till story happened at the very beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, in 1955. In this time period, there was segregation between the North and the South. The roots of this segregation can be traced back to the beginning of our country. Slavery existed from the early 1600s to 1861. From 1861-1865, a Civil War divided the nation over issues of slavery. By the end of the war in 1865, slavery was ended by the 13 th Amendment to the Constitution; however, a racial divide haunted the country for the next 100 years, especially in the South. In 1955, 14 year old African-American boy named Emmett Till was visiting his relatives in Money, Mississippi. He went to Bryants Grocery & Meat Market, and on a dare, showed

interest in a married white woman, Carolyn Bryant, an illegal act in the South. Coming from Chicago, Till was unaware of these implied rules. Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, relatives of Bryant, came to Mose and Simeon Wrights house (Tills relatives) house, seeking revenge for the inappropriate act. Although Wright tried to explain to Bryant and Milam that Till was from the North and did not know how to act around whites in the South, the men lynched Till, beating and shooting him. Finally, they weighted his body and threw him into the Tallahatchie River. Once found, it was evident that Till had been shot in the head, had one eye gouged out, and a crushed forehead. Tills mother, Mamie Bradley Till was mortified by his death. Although the sheriff of Money suggested that Tills body was buried in Money, Bradley insisted that he be buried in Chicago, his hometown. Bradley insisted on an open casket for the funeral, so guests could see the damage that was done to her son. Let the people see what Ive seen. Mamie Bradley Till. This haunting, tragic moment rocked the nation. From the beginning of the slave era to the end of the Civil Rights Movement, we had a segregated nation. African-Americans and white people were not allowed to do any of the same things, and finally, in 1968, many of the rules were changed. Whether it was from slavery to segregation, all of these things were part of our nations segregated history. Things like racial etiquette, racism, and discrimination were things that played into the part of all of the differences between African-Americans and white people. Events like the Till case, Little Rock, the Albany Movement, and the Birmingham Church Bombing made our nation come together during the Civil Rights Movement to gain equal rights. Although racism existed even after the Civil Right Movement ended, social injustices were not legally ignored. After 1968, citizens made differences in racial equality, but discrimination continued for nations to follow.
3. Requiredfor projectsusingthe NationalHistoryDaythemeonly.
Explain how this project integrates the NHD theme Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events into its argument.

The tragic story of Emmett Till shook the nation to the come in 1955. Outraged echoed across the nation in response to the death of the young boy from Chicago and the injustice of how his murderers were freed from prosecution. This story is often referred as a turning point of the Civil Rights Movement, a time in our nation where protests, both non-violent and violent occurred with increasing frequency for the next 4 years. Following Tills death, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reflected might be considered one of the most brutal and inhuman crimes of the twentieth century. Several other protests and events such as the Birmingham Church Bombing and the Albany Movement became integral parts of the Civil Rights Movement following Tills death. Over time, societys attitude of perception changed towards a more equitable society yet even today we grapple with issues related to social injustice. Studying the history of the Civil Rights Movement and Till helps people realize the importance of preserving the rights of all citizens. The destiny of the colored Americanis the destiny of the America. Frederick Douglass, 1862
4. PROCESS

A. What historical question did you start off withand how did it change once you began doing your research?

The historical question I originally started, before I even knew who Emmett Till was obviously Who was Emmett Till? I then found out a lot about him, but I still wanted to know more about the incident. I then went to interview Dr. Rupert C. Simms at North Park University, and he gave me a LOT of information on the incident. I am very thankful for that. I will forever not know why the whites rather than African-Americans got more rights. I am not saying it would be right either way, but what made whites better than AfricanAmericans.

B. What kinds of sources did you use as evidence to develop your argument (for example, letters, photographs, government documents, interviews, etc.)?

I used photographs, books from the library, websites on the Internet, and many other useful sources. However, the most interesting and useful source was going to North Park University to interview Dr. Rupert C. Simms, who gave me a LOT of information. I also had a short email interview with Dr. Mary Trujillo. I also used something that Dr. Simms gave me, which was sort of like a syllabus-lecture paper.

C. Select one piece of evidence that you used and explain how it influenced your argument.

One piece of evidence that I used that was really helpful was the lecture paper that Dr. Rupert Simms gave me. This really helped me influence my argument. It gave me lots of information on what happened in the incident, plus it gave me affects on the Black Community. It also gives quotes, and other things that happened in the time.

D. List libraries (other than school), museums, and other institutions that you visited to do your research. (next page)

On Site: Chicago Public Library North Park University- Hamming Hall

North Park University- Old Main

Virtual: PBS Radio (jogtheweb.com) Wikipedia Fun Trivia Chicago Public Library Website Chicago History Museum Interview with Dr. Trujillo Smithsonian Magazine