Honoring the 60th Anniversary of Emmett Till’s Death: Beauchamp’s Documentary Continues to Impact & Educate
20 Jul 2015
In August 1955, Emmett Till lost his life in a horrific, senseless, brutal way: he was beaten and murdered for addressing a white woman in public. However, he did not die in vain. His mother decided to have an open casket at his funeral to show what “the world” did to her son. Resulting in national media attention, Till’s death has been deemed a catalyst for the American Civil Rights Movement.
Although there have been many books and studies on Till’s murder, the true story was never revealed until Emmy nominated producer, director and speaker Keith Beauchamp produced a documentary unfolding a drama that has haunted society for the last 60 years. In The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till, released in 2004, Beauchamp revealed unprecedented accounts by first-hand eyewitnesses, many of whom were speaking out for the first time ever. Since the documentary’s debut, it continues to have an impact, informing and educating people spanning the globe. The United States Department of Justice even re-opened the historic murder case, citing Beauchamp’s documentary as both a major factor in their decision and the starting point for their investigation.
A frequent lecturer at colleges and universities, Beauchamp has devoted his life to pursuing justice for Emmett Till, helping to redefine the way we think and feel about the Civil Rights Movement. From Martin Luther King Jr. and Julian Bond to Trayvon Martin’s parents, Keith Beauchamp, and others, APB has had the honor of representing some of the most empowering and inspiring voices dedicated to promoting civil rights.