Created by
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, American, founded 1909
Subject of
Till, Emmett, American, 1941 - 1955
St James' A.M.E. Church, American, founded 1842
Date
October 23, 1955
Medium
ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 11 x 8 1/2 in. (27.9 x 21.6 cm)
Caption
This flier, from a collection of documents related to the Boston chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), provides insight into the Northern reaction to the violence against African Americans in the American South.
On August 28, 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally lynched in Drew, Mississippi. The murder and subsequent acquittal of the perpetrators were catalysts for a new determination among African Americans in the fight for civil rights. Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley said, "The murder of my son has shown me that what happens to any of us, anywhere in the world, had better be the business of us all!!!"
In the same year, Lamar Smith, a farmer and World War I veteran, was shot and killed on the courthouse steps of Brookhaven, Mississippi, and George W. Lee, a grocery store owner and director of the local NAACP branch, was murdered in Belzoni, Mississippi, both in retaliation for encouraging Blacks to register to vote. The violence shocked the nation and inspired new action in the Civil Rights Movement across the country.
Description
A hand-written and typed facsimile flier annoucing an NAACP sponsored memorial meeting for Emmett Till at the St. James A.M.E. Church in Newark, New Jersey. At the top of the flier is an American flag graphic followed by large, hand-lettered text reading [HEAR THE MISSISSIPPI STORY / ATTEND NAACP MEMORIAL MEETING / For / EMMETT TILL]. There are no marks or inscriptions on the back.
Place depicted
Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Political and Activist Ephemera
Movement
Civil Rights Movement
Type
fliers (printed matter)
Topic
African Methodist Episcopal
Civil rights
Methodist
The Black Church
Violence
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2012.46.34.4
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5f7c96633-7933-45bf-8ba4-d1fc5081c8b0

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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