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

Revised and updated with new information, this Jane Adams award winner is an in-depth examination of the Emmett Till murder case, a catalyst of the Civil Rights Movement.

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. Newly reissued with a new chapter of additional material--including recently uncovered details about Till's accuser's testimony--this book grants eye-opening insight to the legacy of Emmett Till.

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

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Overview

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101076187
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/26/2003
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
Lexile:	1210L (what's this?)
File size:	38 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
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.

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

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Editorial Reviews

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

Crowe's new book tells you all the same basic facts of Emmett Till's murder, but it also focuses on why it happened and what was done because of the crime. It dabbles in the minds of the murderers, Emmett's mother, and citizens of Mississippi. The author keeps stressing that the murder of Emmett Till was the breaking point that started the Civil Rights movement. Although not as gripping as Crowe's novel, this book is a necessity for anyone doing a report on the subject. Photos. Maps. Biblio. Further Reading. Chronology. VOYA Codes: 3Q 3P M J (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2003, Phyllis Fogelman Books/Penguin, 128p,
— Kristen Moreland, Teen Reviewer

VOYA

This book is a nonfiction companion to Chris Crowe's Mississippi Trial: 1955, the story of the murder of Emmett Till, the trial that followed, and surrounding events. Emmett was a 14-year-old African-American youngster visiting relatives in Mississippi in 1955, who was kidnapped and murdered after alleged remarks made to a white woman. Although two white men, who later admitted to the murder in a magazine interview, were put on trial for murder, they were quickly acquitted by an all-white jury. This was a landmark event that helped to jumpstart the Civil Rights movement. Due to the graphic nature of this story (including one photo which appeared in a Chicago newspaper), it might be disturbing to younger readers. Nonetheless, it would be a good source to use when talking about the Civil Rights movement, and a good paired read with Crowe's aforementioned fictionalized account. 2003, Phyllis Fogelman Books, 128 pp., Ages young adult.
—Christie Van Sande

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

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

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