High-res cordjefferson: Had you any idea that Emmett Till’s final words were some of boldest in American history? Milam: “You still as good as I am?” Till: “Yeah.” Milam: “You still ‘had’ white women?” Till: “Yeah.” Milam would later say that, following that exchange, he had no choice but to kill the 14-year-old boy: “Well, what else could we do? He was hopeless. I’m no bully; I never hurt a nigger in my life. I like niggers—in their place—I know how to work ‘em. But I just decided it was time a few people got put on notice. As long as I live and can do anything about it, niggers are gonna stay in their place. Niggers ain’t gonna vote where I live. If they did, they’d control the government. They ain’t gonna go to school with my kids. And when a nigger gets close to mentioning sex with a white woman, he’s tired o’ livin’. I’m likely to kill him. Me and my folks fought for this country, and we got some rights. I stood there in that shed and listened to that nigger throw that poison at me, and I just made up my mind. ‘Chicago boy,’ I said, ‘I’m tired of ‘em sending your kind down here to stir up trouble. Goddam you, I’m going to make an example of you—just so everybody can know how me and my folks stand.’”

cordjefferson:

Had you any idea that Emmett Till’s final words were some of boldest in American history?

Milam: “You still as good as I am?”

Till: “Yeah.”

Milam: “You still ‘had’ white women?”

Till: “Yeah.”

Milam would later say that, following that exchange, he had no choice but to kill the 14-year-old boy:

“Well, what else could we do? He was hopeless. I’m no bully; I never hurt a nigger in my life. I like niggers—in their place—I know how to work ‘em. But I just decided it was time a few people got put on notice. As long as I live and can do anything about it, niggers are gonna stay in their place. Niggers ain’t gonna vote where I live. If they did, they’d control the government. They ain’t gonna go to school with my kids. And when a nigger gets close to mentioning sex with a white woman, he’s tired o’ livin’. I’m likely to kill him. Me and my folks fought for this country, and we got some rights. I stood there in that shed and listened to that nigger throw that poison at me, and I just made up my mind. ‘Chicago boy,’ I said, ‘I’m tired of ‘em sending your kind down here to stir up trouble. Goddam you, I’m going to make an example of you—just so everybody can know how me and my folks stand.’”

Notes

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    and people like that should never reproduce.
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    this is what my people had to go through because of color and ignorance. smh!
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