At Delta State we met with Dr. Henry Outlaw (good guy even though he's from the hills). Henry discussed the Emmett Till murder and contrasted it with To Kill a Mockingbird. He chronicled Harper Lee's being influenced by the Till Murder in writing her novel. He discussed how both Till and Tom Robinson broke no law, but broke a rigid and time honored code in the South.
Following Dr. Outlaw was Charles McLaurin who is described as a foot soldier in the Civil Rights movement. He recruited Fannie Lou Hammers to register to vote in 1962. He was also part of Freedom Summer in 1964.
After lunch we loaded on our bus and headed for Sumner, Mississippi in Tallahatchie County, sight of the Emmitt Till murder trial. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me as we were able to listen to a panel of witnesses to history including Parker Wheeler (Till's cousin), Henry Outlaw, Luther Brown, Dale Killinger (FBI Agent in charge of investigation), Lent Rice (Retired FBI), Bruce Smith (son of special prosecutor Robert Bruce Smith) and Jim Powers (ACLU). The discussion revealed many new facts the FBI uncovered in their investigation and the fact that the actual incident at Bryant's Grocery remains unclear. Other than the "wolf whistle" Parker, who was present, knows little about what was said in the grocery.
After a tour of the newly renovated Sumner Courthouse, we visited the Emmett Till Intrepid Center and viewed a film about the Till murder and the museum. It was located at the cotton gin that the gin fan was procured to weigh Emmett down when his body was thrown into the Tallahatchie River.
The night was capped with a good time at Poor Monkey's Lounge. Po Monkey and D.J. Doctor Tissue rocked the house (literally his house) and provided entertainment for all.
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| Poor Monkey- the last rural Juke Joint in Mississippi |
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