Revisiting Emmett Till’s place in Mississippi State History (2024)

I distinctly remember reading the Mississippi Trial in middle school because it was the first book that I had read that dealt with any sort of racial issue. However, I do remember that being the only time this historical event was discussed in school. It is interesting to read about integration of this book with social studies lesson plans; so much more could have been done with my first experience with this book.

If I remember correctly it was an english/language arts class, I'm sure that the disturbing nature definitely played a role in the degree to which my teacher discussed and expanded upon the book.

I first read Mississippi Trial, 1955 in my eighth grade language arts class, and that was the only time Emmett Till’s murder was mentioned in my schooling until I was a senior in college. My teacher did not sugar coat the severity of the crimes, and I remember it clearly because it was the first time I had ever really been told about just how bad the racism was in the early South. I had heard some things, of course, about Martin Luther King Jr. and how African Americans did not have the right to vote, but never about the serious crimes against them. It was a very eye-opening experience!

When we began reading this book in class, I was very surprised that I had never heard of this event. I am from Mississippi so hearing of this tragic event, adds to my already shameful feelings of my ancestors who lived during the time of these events. Reading this book has opened my eyes to more than just the racial issues, but also the issues of whether to or not to do the right thing.

I had not read Mississippi Trial, 1955 until this semester, in your social studies class in the Senior Block of the Education Program at Mississippi State University. Though I had heard of the trial and the incident before, I was not familiar with the specifics of the case. Through reading this book, I realized an abundance of ways that this book could be used to teach about Civil Rights, both in Mississippi and in the nation as a whole if it were to be used with other books about a similar topic.

My first encounter with the Emmett Till case was in my senior block social studies course at Mississippi State University. Reading Mississippi Trial, 1955 greatly impacted me as a student. I was shocked that I had never heard of this monumental case earlier in my educational career. Studying the case made me realize the brutality that many African Americans faced.

Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, the case of Emmett Till was frequently taught in the schools. It is such a key part of our history because of was the beginning of the end of segregation. Although these men did not get convicted, it was known that that they should have and this had a spiral affect on other trials dealing with deaths of African Americans across the state. Not even a year later, a white man was convicted for killing an African American. This book summed up what I learned in high school about the case, however, it really went into detail about the court case itself and what went on inside the case. I really enjoyed reading about this trial and enjoyed gaining more insight about the history of my home.

My first encounter with the Emmett Till case was in my Senior Level Methods Social Studies course at Mississippi State University. This book impacted me as both a student and a teacher, because it allowed me to place myself in the boys shoes and also made me reflect back on what it would have been like to live back during this time. Reading this book both made me very sad and angry that someone was ever treated this way, but also very happy that the laws have changed and we no longer have to deal with things to this extent because of someone's skin color.

My first encounter with the Emmett Till case was in high school, but it was only covered very briefly. While I am from the Mississippi Delta, you may find it surprising that I did not know more about the Emmett Till case prior to read the novel. I feel that many teachers and schools in my area do not feel the need to cover this material, because we have lived it growing up. Reading Mississippi Trial, 1955, impacted me because I gained more knowledge about how African Americans were mistreated prior to the Civil Rights Movement.

My first major encounter with the Emmett Till case was in your class for Senior Block Education majors. I had heard details of the trial and Emmett Till before, but I did not know specifics about the case. Reading this book provided me with a lot of insight about Emmett Till that I did not know, and also allowed me to learn more about racial issues that occurred in my home state. Studying this book in class also helped me to see ways that I could implement lessons on topics such as this and the Civil Rights movement in my future classroom.

My first encounter with the book, Mississippi Trial, 1955 was not until this semester, in my senior social studies class at Mississippi State University. Prior to this class, I had never heard of this case before. However, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to learn about it. Studying this case, allowed me to realize how grateful I am for not having to experience some of the events that occurred in this book.

This semester was my first encounter with Emmett Till's story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Mississippi Trial, 1955. Chris Crowe did a great job using imagery to describe Greenwood, the events, and the trial. If I were to teach 7th-9th grade students, I would definitely integrate this novel into my classroom.

My first encounter with this book was in my Senior Level Methods Social Studies course at Mississippi State University. Through reading Mississippi Trial, 1955, I gained knowledge of the importance of this trial and the impact that it made in the South. By reading about the true account of Emmett Till’s murder, I am more aware of the mistreatment of African Americans and the brutality that they faced. After reading this book, I have gained appreciation and respect for those who still choose to do the right thing, despite racial stereotypes.

My first encounter with this book came during my senior year at Mississippi State University. I was amazed that I had never heard of this case before. I grew up in Mississippi and took several classes focused on Mississippi Studies. None of them mentioned this case or its powerful representation in Mississippi's civil rights history. This book is a wonderful depiction of the lives and memories of the people that were involved in this horrific case. This case is something that we should be talking about in Mississippi classes from the very start of discussing the civil rights movement.

My first encounter with this book was in high school. We did a unit on this case. This was the first time I had ever heard of this case, and reading this book was the first time I had ever realized how bad racism actually was in the South. Until I read this book in high school, I had only ever been taught about how prior to the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans had separate schools, restrooms, etc. I had never been introduced to the horrors of segregation until reading this book about the murder of Emmett Till.

My first experience with the Emmett Till case came during my sophom*ore year of college. We discussed the cases and it's effects in my Mississippi History course. After reading the book, I have become interested in finding out more about the case. It has helped me see the effect that bystanders had in not just this case but in many other civil rights issues both then and now.

In a school setting, this was my first time to be assigned to read about the murder of Emmett Till. In the Senior Level Methods Social Studies course, we were assigned to read the book, Mississippi Trial, 1955, to create our own lesson plan, and how we would implement a lesson using this book. After reading the text, I can understand why this is the first encounter I have had with this book in a school setting. As graphic and humiliating as some of the events in the book are, I enjoyed reading about the historical background of my home state, Mississippi.

I can remember reading Mississippi Trial, 1955 in my seventh or eighth grade English class. In our classroom, we read the book together as nightly homework assignments and classroom readings. As we read the book, we responded to journal prompts and explored civil rights topics that went along with the book. I specifically remember learning about Emmett Till's murder, and the topic being a sensitive one that we as students were given the option to "cover our ears and close our eyes" as my teacher put it. Overall, the entire study as a lesson was and still is an enjoyable, eye-opening one!

My first rememberable experience with the Emmett Till case came in 11th grade, when I researched the murder of Emmett Till as a part of a US History assignment. After reading this book, I have become more interested in teaching about the Civil Rights Era and have gained a new appreciation for people like Hiram, who courageously stood up for what they believed in a time when opposition was brutally discouraged.

I encountered the events surrounding the Emmett Till case for the first time in my seventh grade English class. However I gained a much deeper understanding of the Emmett Till case by reading Mississippi Trial, 1955. I really loved this book and learned a lot about segregation and the civil rights movement from it.

My first encounter with the book Mississippi Trial, 1955 was this semester in Social Studies Senior Methods. However, growing up I had always heard about Emmett Till, definitely as early as elementary school. Mississippi Trial, 1955 is a great way to introduce race relations at the middle level. Though some of the content is sensitive, it would be great to implement this book in a future classroom.

I studied civil rights in my elementary school in Memphis Tennessee. I feel that the version of civil rights that were taught at a younger aged was a very simple version based on being age appropriate.I studied the Emmett Till case in a private high school again in Memphis. Reading this book gave me more insight to the happenings that I had learned prior to reading this text.

My first time I have ever heard about the events surrounding Emmett Till was when I was in Chicago visiting grandparents. At this time, there was speculation that the body of Emmett Till was no longer in the casket in which he was buried. The following school year, we read Mississippi Trial, 1955 in our sophom*ore year English class. As I became more familiar with Emmett Till and the events that led to his death, I found and became obsessed with the song by Bob Dylan. I would definitely use Mississippi Trial, 1955 in my future classroom. I would use it for Social Studies when we were learning about the Civil Rights Movement and the causes leading to it. I would love to go through this book with my students to look at the English side of things as well. The way the author uses imagery through Hiram's words is very appealing.

I first became aware of Emmett Till's murder when reading this book in one of my educational classes, here at Mississippi State. We read the book in class, discussed it, completed activities, and wrote a lesson plan based on the book. I would use this book to teach social studies by making students aware of the circ*mstances that existed in Mississippi during the time frame of this book. Students should be very aware of the racial issues that occurred in Mississippi since this is their home state. I would also use this book to teach English language arts by first developing the students reading skills, having them complete literacy strategies to gain comprehension, and I could have students complete writing activities based on this book.

I first learned about the events surround the murder of Emmett Till during my freshman year in high school. I learned about him during my Social Studies class when my teacher presented a full lesson based around Emmett Till and other African Americans that were murdered in Mississippi around this time period. I would use the Mississippi Trial, 1955 book to integrate English Language Arts into Social Studies. Through reading the book and using reading strategies, I would get a chance to help further my students' reading comprehension abilities. This book would help teach Mississippi history to my students as well.

The first time I learned about the murder of Emmett Till was in 6th grade. Being from Alabama where the segregated south was just as evident as it was in Mississippi in the 1950's, the curriculum did a surprising job of informing students about the brokenness that was within the southern states at that time. When we learned about Emmett Till, we were discussing the events leading up to the Civil Rights movement. I remember this case specifically because of the impact it made so far outside of Mississippi.

I actually don't remember when I first learned of the events surrounding the murder of Emmett Till. I think it was mentioned at some point in my high school career; but the teachers didn't really go into any detail about it. Reading this book was the first real education on the topic.I would use this book to teach ELA by having the students read primary sources about the trial and have them write a paper on their thoughts on the fairness of the trial using the book and primary sources. This would also include social studies instruction because of the topic of Mississippi Studies and civil rights.

1. When did you first learn of the events surrounding the murder of Emmett Till? How?
Although I had learned about the Civil Rights movement in high school, I first learned of the murder of Emmett Till and the surrounding events during my senior year in college in the Elementary Education program. We read Mississippi Trial, 1955 and then wrote a lesson plan centered on it. I had not even heard of this book or this tragedy before this year, with one possible reason being that I did not grow up in Mississippi.
2. How might you use the book, Mississippi Trial, 1955 to teach both social studies and ELA?
The social studies aspect comes in the fact that it is a novel about a real historical event. It brings students to the time and place of these happenings and brings them to life for the students. Because of the nature of the text, being that it is a novel, it begs to be used to teach ELA. Students can read this book and employ any number of ELA strategies while reading it. They can then perform any number of comprehension activities based on this book and topic. It is perfect to use in a social studies and ELA integrated lesson plan as it is a text that can be used for both content areas.

I remember reading Mississippi Trial when I was in high school. This was when I first learned about the events surrounding the murder of Emmett Till. This book could be used to teach Social Studies as well as ELA. Focusing on Social Studies, this book could help students learn about life and racial tensions in Mississippi and the south in general during this time period. Focusing on ELA, reading this book would help students with comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. There are even possible writing opportunities that could fit into the reading of this book.

I first learned of Emmett Till's murder and the events surrounding his murder, very recently. My professor from Mississippi State, Dr. Binford, had us read the book and discuss it in class. We also wrote a lesson plan based on the book. I was shocked and appalled by the events in this story. I never knew the details of how African Americans were treated in the South. If I were to teach this book using both Social Studies and ELA, I would have the students read the book and do Literature Circles every other day in class. After we finish the book, I would have the students write a paper based on the characters and how they were affected by the events surrounding his murder and how this event affected history and laws we have today. This is a great way to connect the past to the present.

I first learned about the events surrounding the murder of Emmett Till when I was in 10th grade. I am from Georgia, so we did not have a Mississippi Studies class; therefore, there was not a time in which the trial would have been introduced earlier. My teacher first introduced this murder to my class by discussing the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement; he explained various events that may have sparked the beginning of the movement. From here, he keyed in on the Emmett Till Trial. We watched a documentary about the murder, as well as the trial. I was never exposed to the "Mississippi Trial, 1955" book until my senior year in college. The "Mississippi Trial, 1955" book is a great book to use while creating an interdisciplinary unit between social studies and ELA. Through ELA instruction, the teacher will be able to teach the students many unknown vocabulary words, as well as key phrases within the book; the teacher can use strategies, such as concept maps to do so. Moreover, in regards to social studies, teachers will have the opportunity to use this book to teach about the Civil Rights Movement and the "ways of the south" during the 1950s. From the reading of the text, the students will learn that this trial, was an event that sparked the beginning of the movement. Throughout the duration of the teaching of the social studies content, the teacher can introduce the students to the importance of primary sources and their purpose when engaging in historical thinking and contextualizing.

I studied civil rights throughout most of my history courses within high school. That being said, Emmett Till was mentioned, but not as in depth as this book does. Emmett Till was mentioned when discussing civil rights in Mississippi Studies and U.S. History. Till wasn't the main focus of the chapter or content being taught. However, this murder was mentioned as one of the causes of the Civil Rights Movement. When integrating ELA and social studies, it is rather easy to do. You may incorporate ELA through the comprehension of the book, along with effective strategies not only testing the social studies content at hand, but the language arts as well. For example, students could use a RAFT or concept map to comprehend a specific event or summary of Mississippi Trials. The opportunities to incorporate these two disciplines are endless. However, the main focus is for students to gross as a reader and comprehend the social studies present in this book.

I first learned about Emmett Till when I was in high school. We briefly learned about him in my 9th grade Mississippi Studies class. I also learned more about his murder my sophom*ore year of college in my Mississippi History class at Mississippi State University. I believe the Mississippi Trial, 1955 book would be a great book to use in the social studies and ELA classroom. In social studies I could use this during a unit on the civil rights movement for students to learn more about the terrible things African Americans faced. In the ELA classroom I could use this for students to learn more vocabulary related to the topic and also other vocabulary words they may not be familiar with. It could be used for reading comprehension too.

I first learned about Emmett Till in 9th grade in Mississippi Studies.I remember my grandparents talking about it too. I also was able to learn more about the murder in a Social Studies Education class at Mississippi State University. I would use this book, Mississippi Trail, 1955 to teach both social studies and ELA. I would have the students look at the different views of Grandpa and Hiram to understand how people looked at race then compared to now. The students would then have writing incorporated by having writing to write in the tone of the two characters.

Emmett Till has been known to me since my early elementary years. However, it was not fully discussed in such graphic terms. When my teachers were vague on the subject and just wanted me to grasp the concept of segregation and the basic reality that it held in the South, which was much different than the North in the 1950's. I did not know the specifics of this trial until I read Mississippi Trial, 1955, which was very enlightening. In my future classes I would want to use this book in order to help students fully understand the topic of segregation and racism. This book is graphic however, I think it is a topic that needs to be covered in middle school settings. Students would be able to see how far we, as a nation, have come in comparison to how life was in the mid 1900's.

My first encounter with the book, Mississippi Trial, 1955 came in high school. We read this story in one of my Language Arts courses. I also remember discussing the story of Emmett Till in a history course in high school when we covered the Civil Rights Movement. In my opinion, I would integrate Language Arts and Social Studies lessons to teach this content. The students could read the story while they are learning about the events that sparked the Civil Rights Movement, as well as work with Tier One, Two, and Three vocabulary. I would specifically focus on Tier Three vocabulary. Moreover, I would also provide my students with primary source documents of eye witness accounts of the trial, as well as other accounts of events during this time period, in order to help my students gain a deeper understanding of the historical context of the book.

I do not remember which exact grade level I first learned about the murder of Emmett Till, but I know it was in a social studies classroom setting at the middle school level. This event was introduced and discussed when our class was learning about the topic of racism and the civil rights movement. The book Mississippi Trial, 1955 allowed me to better visualize and understand what took place before, during, and after this event.
Mississippi Trial, 1955 would be an excellent book to use when introducing students to the civil rights movement. The descriptions of the places in this book could also be useful in helping teaching students geography features of the United States. Lastly, this book could help students understand the process of a trial. The students could even perform a mock trial of this event which would also help them better understand the perspective of white's and African American's during that time period.

The area of Mississippi where I grew up was a bit more culturally diverse and more translucent with the negative aspects of the south than most other places within the state. Since I had the opportunity to go to school in a relatively liberal and progressive school, Emmett Till was introduced to me during my middle school years - though, lacking in details - during a unit involving the Civil Rights Movement.
I feel as though that unit could have definitely benefited from the inclusion of this book within it's lessons. I gained a much more insightful understanding of who Emmett Till was while reading this, and it gave me a sense of deep sadness when I progressed through the book and knew how the story would end. Through the detailed literary language and dialogues, I felt like I was in Greenwood, MS during this time period throughout the novel. (A side note - this dialogue could also open up a discussion with students about the effects of different dialects within a text, and how that may change the mood of the reader or/and novel.) I was able to gain some understanding of why this young African-American's tragic death was the spark for a country-wide revolution for equality.

The area of Mississippi where I grew up was a bit more culturally diverse and more translucent with the negative aspects of the south than most other places within the state. Since I had the opportunity to go to school in a relatively liberal and progressive school, Emmett Till was introduced to me during my middle school years - though, lacking in details - during a unit involving the Civil Rights Movement.
I feel as though that unit could have definitely benefited from the inclusion of this book within it's lessons. I gained a much more insightful understanding of who Emmett Till was while reading this, and it gave me a sense of deep sadness when I progressed through the book and knew how the story would end. Through the detailed literary language and dialogues, I felt like I was in Greenwood, MS during this time period throughout the novel. (A side note - this dialogue could also open up a discussion with students about the effects of different dialects within a text, and how that may change the mood of the reader or/and novel.) I was able to gain some understanding of why this young African-American's tragic death was the spark for a country-wide revolution for equality.

I first learned about Emmett Till and his tragic death through a heated classroom discussion in my high school. It wasn't until this semester, Senior Block, that I learned of the actual events that surrounded his murder. Seeing that it brings up such an important controversial issue, Mississippi Trial, 1955 is an excellent book to use to teach Social Studies and ELA content. I would love to address the contents of the book through Literature circles. Through these Lit-Circles, students will be able to analyze the racial issues presented and compare those issues with similar events of the present.