Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case

by Chris Crowe

Overview

This Jane Adams award winner is an in-depth examination of the Emmett Till murder case, a catalyst of the Civil Rights Movement.  

"Crowe pays powerful tribute to a boy whose untimely death spurred a national chain of events."—Publishers Weekly

The kidnapping and violent murder of fourteen-year-old Emmett Till in 1955 was and is a uniquely American tragedy. Till, a black teenager from Chicago, was visiting family in a small town in Mississippi, when he allegedly whistled at a white woman. Three days later, his brutally beaten body was found floating in the Tallahatchie River. 

In clear, vivid detail Chris Crowe investigates the before-and-aftermath of Till's murder, as well as the dramatic trial and speedy acquittal of his white murderers, situating both in the context of the nascent Civil Rights Movement. This reissued edition includes a chapter of additional material—including uncovered details about Till's accuser's testimony—this book grants eye-opening insight to the legacy of Emmett Till.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780451478726
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	01/09/2018
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Chris Crowe was born in Danville, Illinois, and attended schools in Illinois, New Mexico, and California before his parents settled down in Tempe, Arizona, where he graduated from McKemy Junior High and McClintock High School. He attended Brigham Young University on a football scholarship (and played in the 1974 Fiesta Bowl) and earned a BA in English. He taught English at McClintock High for 10 years while attending Arizona State University part-time, earning his masters and doctorate degrees.

He is the author of several books, most notably MISSISSIPPI TRIAL, 1955, which won several awards, including the 2003 International Reading Association's Young Adult Novel Award. His nonfiction book, GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER: THE TRUE STORY OF THE EMMETT TILL CASE, was an Jane Addams Honor book. His first children's book, JUST AS GOOD: HOW LARRY DOBY CHANGED AMERICA'S GAME, appeared in 2012. His newest book is a historical novel DEATH COMING UP THE HILL, scheduled to be released in October 2014.

Chris married his high school sweetheart, and they live in Provo, Utah, where he works in the English department at BYU. They are the parents of four children and grandparents of two lovely girls and three handsome boys.

Table of Contents

Introduction 11

The Boy Who Triggered the Civil Rights Movement 15

Kicking the Hornets' Nest 27

The Boy from Chicago 37

The Wolf Whistle 50

Setting the Stage 70

Getting Away with Murder 84

Aftershocks 107

The Case in the Twenty-first Century 122

Time Line 135

Bibliography 138

Additional Resources on the Emmett Till Case 141

For Further Reading 143

Editorial Reviews

A Jane Addams Book Award Honor book
An Orbis Pictus recommended book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
A School Library Journal Best Book


"This book is a mandatory addition to all libraries because of the impact and importance this crime had on our history." —School Library Journal 

"Crowe's powerful, terrifying account does justice to its subject in bold, direct telling, supported by numerous archival photos and quotes from those who remember, including Emmett's mother." —Booklist

"Crowe pays powerful tribute to a boy whose untimely death spurred a national chain of events." —Publishers Weekly

 

From the Publisher

Crowe (Mississippi Trial, 1955) revisits the subject of his debut novel, this time as nonfiction, with an even more searing impact. He builds a strong argument that "the outrage that followed [Emmett's] death and the acquittal of his murderers finally launched the movement to combat racism in the United States." The opening scene, reconstructed from court statements and documents, tells how 14-year-old Emmett Till was taken from his great-uncle's Mississippi home, where the boy was visiting from Chicago, to be killed by two white men. Emmett's crime: he had allegedly whistled at and made `ugly remarks' to a white woman" in a 1955 segregated South where whites were still bristling from the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. The narrative then slows a bit to paint the historical scene, but quickly gains momentum again as Crowe compellingly describes Emmett's perspective, coming from an experience of comparative freedom in the north, as he entered the world of his southern relatives, thus setting a backdrop for tensions to unfold. Striking photographs illustrate an era of contradictions, such as an all-American boy brandishing a sign bearing a racist slogan. The acts of bravery may impress readers most, especially the decision by Maud Till Bailey, Emmett's mother, to open his casket and "Let the people see what they did to my boy," and his Uncle Mose Wright taking the stand to identify the white defendants (immediately thereafter, he had to flee Mississippi or risk being murdered himself). Crowe pays powerful tribute to a boy whose untimely death spurred a national chain of events. Ages 12-up. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 7 Up-A wrenching account of the brutal killing of a 14-year-old black Chicagoan in Mississippi in 1955, his murderers' acquittal, and their subsequent confession. The writing brings the tenor of the times and the importance of this case into sharp focus. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal