“The murder of Emmett Till must be the beginning of the end of segregation and lynching!�
This is what people are saying in memorial meetings and protest rallies throughout the US.
But so far, the administration in Washington hasn’t said a word about the murder of Emmett Till, and this is an administration which doesn’t spare words when it claims a violation of freedom—thousands of miles from our shores!
Clearly the unpunished murder of Emmett Till and the force and violence used against would-be Negro voters in Mississippi show a plot to subvert the Constitution.
First, therefore, the federal government must declare that there is a breakdown of law and order in Mississippi.
All the power that resides in Washington must be used to investigate and to guarantee justice in the murders of Emmett Till, Lamar Smith, and Rev. George Lee, and to guarantee Negroes the right to vote, in accordance with the 15th Amendment to the Constitution.
If Mississippi persists in refusing to allow Negroes their vote, then Congress has the duty under the 14th Amendment to cut down that state’s representation to Congress.
The next session of Congress, opening in January, also has the opportunity to pass laws making lynching a federal offense, doing away with the poll tax, and guaranteeing equal employment rights for all (FEPC). Congress can also halt federal grants to any state which tries to evade the Supreme Court anti-segregation decision.
Through our individual letters and telegrams, through our organizations and unions, young Americans can influence the White House, Congress and both political parties to at once move into action—to wipe out the shame of Mississippi, and to pretect democracy and freedom right here at home—for all of us!
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Dynamic Magazine
