| Contents |
Before the narrative starts -- Emmett Till : the beginning -- Elders I : Medgar Evers joins the fight for freedom -- The Tougaloo Nine and the Ladner Sisters fight for justice -- The "children" of Medgar Evers -- Elders II : the education of Bob Moses -- Brenda Travis and the Burglund High School walkout -- Freedom Riders and two kids from Jackson -- The North Jackson Youth Council -- The children of Jackson March -- A tragedy and a people's reaction -- Elders III : the saga of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer -- Greenwood-part I : Sam Block shakes up Greenwood -- Greenwood-part II : The children -- George Raymond in Canton -- Freedom Summer, freedom schools, a legacy of activism -- As the narrative draws to a close. |
| Abstract |
"The killing of Emmett Till is widely remembered today as one of the most famous examples of lynchings in America. African American children in 1955 personally felt the terror of his murder. These children, however, would rise up against the culture that made Till's death possible. From the violent Woolworth's lunch-counter sit-ins in Jackson to the school walkouts of McComb, the young people of Mississippi picketed, boycotted, organized, spoke out, and marched, working to reveal the vulnerability of black bodies and the ugly nature of the world they lived in. These children changed that world. In the Name of Emmett Till: How the Children of the Mississippi Freedom Struggle Tore Down Yesterday and Showed Us Tomorrow weaves together the riveting tales of those young women and men of Mississippi, figures like Brenda Travis, the Ladner sisters, and Sam Block who risked their lives to face down vicious Jim Crow segregation. Readers also discover the adults who guided the young people, elders including Medgar Evers, Robert Moses, and Fannie Lou Hamer. This inspiring new book of history for young adults from award-winning author Robert H. Mayer is an unflinching portrayal of life in the segregated South and the bravery of young people who fought that system. As the United States still reckons with racism and inequality, the activists working In the Name of Emmett Till can serve as models of activism for young people today"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 179-185) and index. |
| Spec. audience char. |
Ages: 12-18 NewSouth Books. |
| Spec. audience char. |
Grades: 10-12 NewSouth Books. |
| Issued in other form | Online version: Mayer, Robert H., 1950- In the name of Emmett Till Montgomery, AL : NewSouth Books, [2021] 9781588384454 |
| Genre/form | History. |
| Genre/form | Juvenile works. |
| LCCN | 2021001808 |
| ISBN | 9781588384379 |
| ISBN | 1588384373 (hardback) |
| ISBN | (ebook) |
