The .45-caliber pistol and holster used in the 1955 lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till are on public display at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum on the 70th anniversary of his murder. The weapon belonged to John William "J.W." Milam, who with Roy Bryant abducted Till from his great-uncle's home on Aug. 28, 1955; Till's body was later found in the Tallahatchie River and his accused killers were acquitted by an all-white male jury. The gun was anonymously donated by a Mississippi Delta family and authenticated by its serial number matching FBI reports. Family members expressed mixed emotions while museum leaders urged reflection on Till's legacy and societal progress.
The gun used in the lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till is now on display for the public to see, 70 years after the killing. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History unveiled the .45-caliber pistol and its holster during a news conference Thursday, which is the 70th anniversary of Till's murder. The gun belonged to John William "J.W." Milam who, alongside Roy Bryant, abducted Till from his great-uncle's home on Aug. 28, 1955.
"It is an emotional day for us, and I just don't think that associating a murder weapon with the 70th anniversary is appropriate at this time," Watts said. Watts wants Till's story to be preserved. However, she sees the weapon not as an artifact, but as a piece of evidence in a struggle for justice that is still ongoing.
Michael Morris, the director of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History, said he hopes the anniversary will cause people to reflect on how Till's story has impacted societal progress. "To me, that's the legacy. It's not just his death. It's the way that he still finds a way to inspire folks to be the change that they want to see in the world," Morris said.
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