The Blood of Emmett Till

The South is a caste society at the time Emmett Till is murdered. Blacks are on the bottom and are referred to as the “mudsill” (44); just above them are poor whites like Roy and Carolyn Bryant. Whites in this social position survive by selling things or working for others. They have little status. Carolyn’s family is somewhat better off. Her father works as a manager on a plantation and as a prison guard, but when he dies, her family’s income disappears and their status grows more precarious. Carolyn’s mother becomes a nurse and moves from the country to Indianola, Mississippi. Carolyn recalls that she could play with black children at home, where black servants were common, but she was forbidden from being seen in public with them. In high school, she is quite attractive and is soon married to an older boy. They quickly have two children and open a store to make a living. The Milam/Bryant family into which she marries is lower class, according to Carolyn. They drink liquor all the time, are given to violent arguments, are explicitly racist, and carry handguns. Roy Bryant’s half-brother