The murder of Emmet Till

The murder of Emmet Till

            Simeon seeks to find justice over the brutal murder of his cousin Emmet Till. Justice is not able to take the right course, and the verdict provided after the killing of Till was that the murderers were not guilty. The memories of segregation that were present in Mississippi are still fresh in the mind of Simeon. The death of his cousin has provoked a behavior of violence in him, and he was convinced that when someone hits you, then you must hit back. After all these years, Simeon was hurt and did not want to speak about the story of his cousin (Wright, & Boyd, 2010). Simeon has been blaming himself for the death of his cousin since he believes that if he could have reported the incidence of whistling at Miss Bryant to his father, necessary measures to save the life of the 14-year old would have been taken. The story refers to a system of injustice that is promoted through racial segregation and has denied several people justice.

Emmet Till alias Bobo was kidnapped from his uncle’s house in Mississippi by the family of Bryan, and later his body was discovered decomposed in a river. It was not easy to recognize him, but then his ring was found, indicating that he was missing. Simeon is hurt and is still mourning his cousin, who was killed by Bryant’s family for only whistling at Miss Bryant. Bobo’s intention was not to whistle at Miss Bryant, but he was a joker, and maybe this was one of his ways of expressing his jokes. Simeon is hurt, and he is determined to pursue justice for the long-closed case. The white supremacy was used as a tool to protect the whites even during murder cases. A failed system of justice, as witnessed in the performance, was influenced by the color (Wright, & Boyd, 2010).  The system discriminates people by color while making their verdict, and this was working against the blacks who were always the victims of murder and oppression. The jury had all the evidence that was required to pursue the case and put Bryant’s family to trial, but nothing much could be done to hold the verdict. Sometimes it is very hurting to see a murderer going free, and even afterward, they continue celebrating. Justice should prevail, and the color of the offenders should not determine this. Simeon is not able to believe that his cousin was murdered due to false accusations placed on him by Carolyn Bryant. The practice of white supremacy and the Jig Crew system of segregation contributes to injustices, even in the courts (Wright, & Boyd, 2010). The court should be democratic and should fight for the rights of the people, but from the performance, even in the courts, the whites and the blacks are segregated. The outcome of the cases can be predicted since the judge is white, and also, the jury is comprised of whites who are long known to discriminate against the blacks. Segregation has subjected many blacks to several injustices in the law courts.

While numerous theories can be applied to Emmet Till’s murder case, social disorganization theory is very much applicable.   The approach focuses on the immediate social environment, such as family, school, and the peer group (Wong, 2016). According to the theory, specific individuals have the reasons for engaging in crime than others. The theory is also focused on explaining why specific communities are likely to engage in criminal activities than others. Communities have differences in the rates of crime. For example, in Chicago, Bobo is used to walking and doing things freely without the fear of getting attacked or shot by the neighbors (Wright, & Boyd, 2010). The community in Chicago where Bobo lives is not used to crime since most of the people are blacks, and they interact positively with one another. Till thinks that the same applies to Mississippi, where most of the occupants are whites who believe in the principles of Jack Crew on segregation. If it was in Chicago, Bobo could have just whistled at a white woman, and nothing serious could be done concerning his behavior.

Social disorganization theory explains how crime is common among the blacks community in Mississippi, which are economically impoverished and only work for the whites. The community in Mississippi is not able to practice effective social control since the Jim Crew rules on segregation influence the members of the jury. The victims associated with high crimes, according to the social disorganization theory, are the ones who mostly lack resources to assist their fellow community members. The Bryant’s family are wealthy since they own a store, and since they are whites, they are a family that no one would dare stand against in a court of law. The Wright family is helpless since they cannot afford to provoke justice among the disintegrated courts. Normally, justice does not advocate for the rights of specific communities due to social disorganization. The same theory can be used to explain the behavior that Simeon developed after the murder of his cousin Till. Initially, he had learned how to live comfortably with the white community (Wong, 2016). The murder influenced the behavior of Simeon, and he was convinced that violence is the solution to the oppression the blacks are facing. Simeon is not able to accept Martin Luther’s principle of non-violence because he believes that back in Mississippi, the answer is violence. Social disorganization theory explains how the residential location for Simeon played a significant role in shaping his behavior in relation to crime (Wright, & Boyd, 2010).  The location determines the association of an individual with a crime. If Simeon was to continue living in Mississippi, he was going to adopt violence with the aim of retaliation for the murder of his cousin. Social disorganization is also evident when Simeon moves to Chicago, the community and the school is very supportive, and they can reform Simeon’s mentality. Simeon is shaped and does not think about the negatives of the death of his cousin anymore.

Through the support of the neighbors, school, and the community in Chicago, Simeon was able to recover from the death of his cousin since he believed that ultimately justice was served. Social disorganization theory explains how crime and justice can be applied in a segregated society. The application of justice in relation to crime in a community can also influence the behavior of an individual towards crime. Simeon believes that the solution to oppression should be violence. Initially, Till perceived that like it is in Chicago, no one should cross your line without getting a severe response from you. Social disorganization adversely influences the mentality of the whites, and they are confident that even if they kill the blacks, no justice will prevail.

References

Kubrin, C. E., & Wo, J. C. (2016). Social disorganization theory’s greatest challenge: Linking structural characteristics to crime in socially disorganized communities. The handbook of criminological theory, 4, 121-136. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Charis_Kubrin/publication/295852576_Social_Disorganization_Theory%27s_Greatest_Challenge_Linking_Structural_Characteristics_to_Crime_in_Socially_Disorganized_Neighborhoods/links/56cded5608aeb52500c366d4.pdf

Wong, I. T. (2016). Predicting arrest trajectories in micro-places: A test of social disorganization theory (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://utd-ir.tdl.org/bitstream/handle/10735.1/5207/ETD-5608-7434.52.pdf?sequence=6&isAllowed=y

Wright, S., & Boyd, H. (2010). Simeon’s Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till. Chicago Review Press.