June 28, 2005

American Progress and Campus Progress welcome this month's feature film, The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till, directed by Keith A. Beauchamp of Till Freedom Come Productions, LLC. A family’s agony for over 40 years is finally being told revealing the truth surrounding the Till case by the people who were there.

Although Emmett’s horrific death has plagued society for many years, Emmett did not die in vain. The death of Emmett Till sparked, the black resistance of the South, better known to many as the American Civil Rights Movement. Today, many have forgotten the young boy who was the sacrificial lamb of a movement, which gave opportunities to all walks of life.

The case of Emmett Till is considered to be one of the major catalysts of the Civil Rights Movement. In fact, Rosa Parks was quoted as saying that the injustice of Emmett Till’s murder was foremost in her mind when she refused to give up her seat on that Montgomery bus just one year after Emmett’s murder.

For almost 50 years, Civil Rights leaders and prominent personalities as diverse as Medgar Evers, Muhammad Ali, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Bob Dylan and Billie Holiday have spoken out and shared the personal impact this case had on their lives. We believe that the time has come to have new dialogue regarding the Emmett Till case.

The Till Freedom Come Productions hopes this project will bring closure for the Till family, encourage social and political analysis and evoke cleansing dialogue and introspection that this country and the world needs. For more information contact Till Freedom Come Productions, LLC.

• View the trailer
• Visit the film's official website
• Get more information about the event