#JusticeForEmmettTill
The Emmett Till Legacy Foundation honors the memory of Emmett Louis Till, who, at only 14 years old, was brutally tortured and killed in 1955 during a racially-motivated hate crime. Our mission is to bring justice, which can mean a full accounting of crimes committed and exhaustive investigations, to the families of victims of unsolved murders committed during the civil rights era. This era is roughly 1954 to 1968, but suspicious cases through December 31, 1979 can also be reopened. The ETLF is committed to educating communities about this era, demonstrating its parallels to today, building an intergenerational knowledge that stresses the importance of non-violent justice and building a legacy of hope, truth and justice.
The #JusticeforEmmettTill campaign will do the following:
- Work with activists, elected officials and legal counsel to apply pressure and demand that all investigations of civil rights era cold cases are exhaustive and that law enforcement thoroughly pursues all leads–both old and newly uncovered.
- Hold those responsible, or involved in murders, accountable by hiring attorneys who will explore criminal and civil options for the Till family that may also apply to other families. Those still alive need to face legal consequences for their direct actions in the death of Emmett Till, as well as those who may have aided or abetted suspects during the course of this and other crimes.
- Advocate local, state and national politicians to pass the Emmett Louis Till Victims of Racially Motivated Murders Act (VRMMAct). ETLF will work to include other impacted families, civil rights organizations, advocates and allies in this new legislative effort designed to empower victims’ families.
