Research Guides: Emmett Till Archives: Media Coverage: Baltimore Afro-American

Introduction

The Baltimore Afro-American, also known as The Afro or Afro News, is a weekly African-American newspaper. The Baltimore Afro-American covered the murder of Emmett Till, the trial, and grand jury hearing extensively. Reporter Jimmy Hicks wrote a series of articles for The Afro-American describing his experience covering the trials and worked with other reporters to track down additional witnesses.

These articles were selected from the Davis Houck Papers.

Kidnapping and Murder

Baltimore Afro-American Sep 10, 1955
"3rd Lynching of Year Shocks Nation: Witnesses Discount Motives Cited for Slaying of Boy"
Baltimore Afro-American Sep 17, 1955
"Details told of lynching of Emmett"

Funeral

Baltimore Afro-American Sep 17, 1955
"'Let people see what they did to my boy,' his mother cries"

Murder Trial

Baltimore Afro-American Sep 17, 1955
"Trial Set in Lynching: Pair to Face Jury Monday"
Political cartoon, Mississippi and NAACP
"NAACP urges U.S.action in Miss. 'reign of terror'"
Baltimore Afro-American Sep 24, 1955
"Lynch Trial Begins" by James Hicks
"Mother arrives with her pastor" by James Hicks
"Hicks lays careful plan for rapid travel in Mississippi" by James Hicks
Baltimore Afro-American Oct 1, 1955
"Lynch Witnesses Flee, Feared Reprisals for Telling Truth" by James Hicks
"Free Lynch Suspects, Sharecropper jury lets Miss. down" by James Hicks
"Sheriff hid witness in Till murder case"
"Youth puts Milam in Till death barn" by James Hicks
"Mother insulted on witness stand"
"400 spectators at Till lynching trial acted like mob at circus, county fair"
"10,000 hear Ms. Bradley describe Miss. lynch trial"
"The Mess in Mississippi" (editorial)
"Woman in lynching case weaves fantastic story"
Baltimore Afro-American Oct 8, 1955
"Unbelievable! Jimmy Hicks' Inside Story of Lynch Trial"
"Two missing witnesses in Till trial have fled Miss."
Political cartoon, Mississippi and NAACP
"Till Murder Trial Gets Press Comment"
"Lynch Case Verdict Stirs Whole Nation"
Baltimore Afro-American Oct 15, 1955
"Unbelievable! Jimmy Hicks' Inside Story of Lynch Trial (second article in a series of four)"
"Hidden by Milam, witness claims"
Baltimore Afro-American Oct 22, 1955
"Unbelievable! Jimmy Hicks' Inside Story of Lynch Trial (third article in a series of four)"
"Emmett Till Kidnap-Murder Case Photos On Sale Now in Pamphlet Form!"
Baltimore Afro-American Oct 29, 1955
"Missing 3rd witness in Till case located"
"Unbelievable! Jimmy Hicks' Inside Story of Lynch Trial (final article in a series of four)"
"'When I Find Time 'I'll cry,' Till's mother tells AFRO"
"Unheard Witnesses" (guest editorial)
"Till Dead; We Must Think About Living" (re: Thurgood Marshall's speech)
"Foreign papers call Till trial 'Scandalous, monstrous, abominable' "
"Till lynching shows 6 countries, America unfit to lead world"
"Time Out For Crying, Mrs. Bradley tells inside story"
"Till kidnapping case up Nov. 7"

Grand Jury Hearing for Kidnapping

Baltimore Afro-American Oct 22, 1955
"Willie Reed Won't Go Back To Miss."
"Moses Wright afraid but will go back again"
Baltimore Afro-American Nov 5, 1955
"Hicks is Going Back, Report new lynching as Till trial nears"
"Indignation Still High Over Till Lynching"
"Sad Day: 5,000 hear Till's uncle at NAACP meet"
Political cartoon "Eyes of the World on Mississippi Again"
Baltimore Afro-American Nov 12, 1955
"Miss. grand jury deliberates kidnapping charge in Till case"
"Unbelievable! (excerpts from an address by Hicks to NAACP)
"I want you to know what they did to my boy"
"Mrs. Mamie Bradley routs false reports"
Baltimore Afro-American Nov 19, 1955
" 'Ready For Hospital' -says Emmett Till's mother"
"Hicks says US ought to act now"
"Till case points up need for a Federal anti-lynching law"
Baltimore Afro-American Nov 26, 1955
"Here's new evidence in Till lynching"
"Why Hicks just had to go back to Mississippi"