The Definitive Emmett Till: Passion and Battle of a Woman for Truth and Intellectual Justice

By Clenora Hudson-Weems

Book Overview

I met Dr. Clenora Hudson-Weems in D. C. at the National Ford Annual Conference in 1987. She was one of the plenary speakers, rendering a most eloquent and engaging slide presentation on her groundbreaking thesis of Till as catalyst of the civil rights movement. It was astounding; I remember it as though it were yesterday. Clenora's work resonates with me to this day. At that moment, she resurrected and established Till as the beginning of the Movement. Later, shortly before completing the Ph.D. in May 1988, she began communicating with Emmett's mother, Mamie Till Mobley and encouraging her to seek justice for her son's brutal murder. Thus anyone who lays claim to exhuming the Till saga before Dr. Hudson-Weems demands to be questioned. - Dr. William Turner, Vice Pres; Assoc. Provost, U. of KY It is the responsibility of all writers to cite the research and writings of those who come before them. In a world where credit is often given to mediocrity, we can ill afford to ignore the work of the scholars who pave the way for us to craft story. Hudson-Weems' Till writings are clearly the first full length studies to establish the lynching of this martyr as the true catalyst for the Modern Civil Rights Movement. Hence, anyone writing after her on this subject has the responsibility to not only know the source but to cite her work as well. To not do this or to claim ignorance of her work is an obvious sign of fraud, inferior research, or arrogance. - Evelyn Coleman, Award-Winning Author of What a Woman's Gotta Do For nearly 20 years, Hudson-Weems was the lone voice calling for a fresh assessment of the true historical significance of the murder of Emmett Till. That voice has lately been joined by a host of others, but there is disharmony in the choir. The de facto failure to credit, let alone acknowledge, both her pioneering work and her rightful place as the preeminent Till scholar is more than intellectual theft; it is personal grand larceny. The truth needs to get out that the real authority about Emmett's story is Clenora. When someone's dedicated his or her life, and mined the subject as much as Clenora has, her name needs to be connected with what she's done. Further, my own effort to assist Clenora in realizing her dream of producing a motion picture based on her research and vision of racial healing through redemption has also been compromised by this sudden rash of Till "experts." Modern day pirates beware; legions stand between you and your greed. With the support of her many friends, colleagues, and true believers, Dr. Hudson-Weems' unique voice will not be lost in the present cacophony, nor will her impersonators go unchallenged. - Barry Morrow, Oscar Award-Winning Co-Writer for Rain Man; Producer

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1425939813
• ISBN13: 9781425939816
• Release Date: June 2006
• Publisher: Authorhouse
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Necessary text to study prejudice, discrimination and other

This text opens the eyes of the reader to the savagery and despicable cruelty of the lopsided South in the 1950's. How a world can be so tainted that it would demonize the human race with such an act. Killing of a child for this so-called crime denies the existence of the world God created where human beings are meant to co-exist regardless of color. Prejudice is learned; it cannot be natural. How can it be ?

shocking but necessary

I read this book as part of Dr. Robert Weem's Black History class at the University of Missouri and I was absolutely stunned. Being one of a very few white girls growing up on the border of Mexico, I thought I had experienced racism and prejudice, boy did I have a lot to learn. I was first shocked and then just out right embarrassed that anyone, but especially someone I share any similar characteristic with (white skin in this case) could so horribly murder a child. "OH MY GOD" I repeated to myself over and over again. "OH MY GOD."-the picture of that mutilated child will surely sicken the heart of anyone, especially a parent.I think anyone who has been disillusioned to believe that the old south (or the new south for that matter) was made up of free, happy black folks who were at last welcomed to white society at the abolition of slavery (or even in 1964 for what it is worth) needs to read this book and see the world without the rose colored glasses.A little hard to follow, this book doesn't flow like a John Grisham novel, but if you can get through the tedious facts (I know, I am part of that now-now generation) you will find a heart wrenching and mortifying story that will change the way you see white America and the poor hand it has dealt so many black people. Also very interesting...the dissention between Till's mother, uncle and the NAACP. I completely recommend this book to anyone interested in history, knowledge, and the truth.