On August 28, 1955, fourteen-year-old Chicago native Emmett Till was brutally beaten to death for allegedly flirting with a white woman at a grocery store in Money, Mississippi. Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam were acquitted of murdering Till and dumping his body in the Tallahatchie River, and later that year, an all-white grand jury chose not to indict the men on kidnapping charges. A few months later, Bryant and Milam admitted to the crime in an interview with the national media. They were never convicted.

Although Till's body was mutilated, his mother ordered that his casket remain open during the funeral service so that the country could observe the results of racially motivated violence in the Deep South. Media attention focused on the lynching fanned the flames of regional tension and impelled many individuals -- including Rosa Parks -- to become vocal activists for racial equality.

In this innovative study, Darryl Mace explores media coverage of Till's murder and provides a close analysis of the regional and racial perspectives that emerged. He investigates the portrayal of the trial in popular and black newspapers in Mississippi and the South, documents posttrial reactions, and examines Till's memorialization in the press to highlight the media's role in shaping regional and national opinions. Provocative and compelling, In Remembrance of Emmett Till provides a valuable new perspective on one of the sparks that ignited the civil rights movement.

Rosa Parks's crucial decision proved more than one to remain seated. This book uses historical analysis and Parks's own words to paint a complete picture of her life as a courageous and defiant civil rights activist. Rosa Parks: A Life in American History explores the life of this important civil rights activist in the context of the cultural and social history of her time. The book focuses heavily on the influence of her mother and grandparents in her civil rights activism and emphasizes the fact that Rosa Parks was always active and engaged in the struggle for civil rights. Analyses of speeches she delivered provide a picture that broadens her influence and importance far beyond the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Chapters are organized chronologically, beginning with Rosa Parks' family history and ending with her death and legacy, and a culminating chapter explores her extensive impact on American history. The work also includes a timeline of key events in her life and a bibliography to aid additional research. Readers will benefit from a holistic approach that explores Parks' life well beyond her refusal to give up her seat on the Montgomery bus line. Of note, this book connects Parks' lifelong activism to the spirit of justice and resistance she learned at a young age. Offers a clear and concise biography of Rosa Parks Examines the entirety of her life and activism beyond the Montgomery Bus Boycott Highlights how Parks's own words best tell her story Shows the complexity of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the resilience of Montgomery's Black population

What did America's greatest orators say regarding significant issues and concerns throughout United States history? This three-volume set examines hundreds of the most historically significant speeches from colonial times to the modern era, allowing readers to consider exactly what the speakers said-and to better understand the motivations behind each speech as well as the effect on the audiences that heard them. This essential reference work presents the most important and historically significant speeches delivered since colonial times, providing in essence a documentary history of the United States through these public utterances. Readers can witness American history unfold firsthand through these stirring and at times controversial speeches-from Patrick Henry's fiery words calling for an American revolution, through the words of the 19th-century abolitionists and Lincoln's immortal Gettysburg Address, and up through the 20th century with President Wilson's famous "Fourteen Points," FDR reminding Americans that the only thing they had to fear was fear itself, and George W. Bush responding to the attacks of September 11. For students, teachers, librarians, and general readers, this indispensable work provides essential reference resources on the speeches of great significance in American history. Each speech is prefaced by a contextual headnote that provides essential background information and specific details about the speech. This three-volume set also includes a timeline, a historical review of each era, biographical sketches of each speaker, and anecdotal sidebars containing additional information about the speech or speakers. Presents chronologically arranged entries that provide a documentary view of American history through the speeches that have shaped the United States Includes background material that gives students primary texts to work with and helps them develop their critical reading, thinking, and writing skills Supplies extensive background information that places each speech in its historical context