B H This Day in Black History

September 6

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September 6, 1955

Mamie Till-Mobley Holds Open Casket Funeral

On September 6, 1955, Mamie Till-Mobley insisted on an open casket at her son's funeral so the world could see what had been done to him. An estimated 50,000 people viewed the body. Jet magazine published photos of Till's disfigured body, shocking the nation and energizing the civil rights movement.

civil-rights
People: Mamie Till-Mobley, Emmett Till
Sources
1. Emmett Till's Funeral - National Museum of African American History and Culture2. The Open Casket Funeral of Emmett Till - PBS

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