Important dates in the American Civil Rights movement. August 28th, 1955, was the day 14yearold africanamerican emmett till was murdered by two white men. So significant that august 28th was the day Martin Luther king jr. Chose for his 1963 i have a dream speech. Closer to the present, august 28th, 2008, then senator barack obama became the first africanamerican man to win a major partys nomination. August 28th. So today we take a look at the murder of emmett till. So horrific and ghastly the death of this 14yearold boy in mississippi, became a call to arms, a moment that galvanized the Civil Rights Movement. Till had allegedly flirted with a white female shop keeper. The price, he was beaten and mutilated, his eyes gouged out with barbedwire wrapped around his neck. His body was thrown into the river to sink and vanish into mystery. But his mother refused to let his death go unnoticed. When the body was found, she insisted on an open casket so the world could see what happened. When the people were acquitted, it began a campaign for civil rights which continues today. Unearthing more details about tills murder continues. The white shop keeper at the center of the case admitted she had fabricated her story. There was a witness to the subsequent kidnapping, one whose story was never heard by authorities. We had an oppo talk to that witness. We had picked cotton that day. It was a wednesday evening, august, 1955. Emmett tills cousin, pastor Wheeler Parker was 16 years old. He lived in chicago. That summer wheeler and his grandfather took a train south with emmett to visit familiar in mississippi. Went into the store. Ms. Bryant waited on me. Wheaton she was waiting on me, emmett till came in the store. I left him in the store for a short time. Parker says an uncle they were visiting in mississippi went into the store to be with almonte. While we were out of the store, ms bryant came out of the story, and emmett whistled at her. We just could not believe he had done that. We made a beilein for the car. Openly publicly, black guy whistling at a white woman . That was way out of bounds. Never heard of such a thing. You could get skilled for reckless eyeballing. Three days later they went. Nd found till at his uncle 2 30 in the morning, they said we are looking for the fat boy from chicago. They did not say nothing about whistles. I said god, i am getting ready to die. He had no idea. Otherwise he would not have gone. You could feel death. It was pure terror, pure hell in that house. It was the last time his cousin would see him alive. Poor thing just had no idea. He had no idea what he was in for. Soon after, emmett tills body was found in the river. He had been kidnapped, tortured, shot and then dumped. A cotton gin fan tied to his neck with barbedwire. There was no autopsy, no real investigation, no questioning of witnesses, incluleding wheelers grandfathe about what happened that day. They told the story. They never interviewed us. Mississippi senator david jordan was a college student. He was there in the courtroom. It was the hottest case in america. At the trial of roy bryant and j. B. Mile am, till was painted as a proceed tor. She testified he grabbed her and testified her he said he had been with other white woman before of nobody was serious. This was a mockery of a trial. It was in the court room after just an hour of deliberation that the allwhite jury let the men walk free. Later, the men admitted to killing till. Now six decades later, tim tyson reveals what carolyn told him. She said she lied about till touching her and uttering obscenities. She said that part is not true. And some question of whether she said knowledge of tills death. Pastor wheeler described his grandfather running outside when kidnappers took emmett. He asked this one, and he said it sounded like a. Woulds voice. It identified him. I dont know the word used, but it identified till as the one doing the talker. A lie that convinced the jurors to set them free. We talk to the historian whose work unearthed that lie. Then she said nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him. Can there ever be justice for emmett till . And later, she picked her profession after watching the brady bunch. I had to research it. I had to know what it was that he actually did for a living. A find out how her passion for questions surrounding the murder of 14yearold emmett till have lingered for decades, particularly around the incident that set things into motion. Caroline bryant testified that till grabbed her hand and her waist while she was stocking candy and flired with her aggressively. Duke University HistorianTimothy Tyson is the only person who has ever interviewed Carolyn Bryant. Bryant was on the record during their interview when it was conducted in 2008, but it was never revealed by tyson. Now, her story is the focus of his book, the blood of emmett till. Nice to have you with us. Appreciate it. Thanks, good to be here. Literally from the very first line where you talk about essentially your interview with Carolyn Bryant, who we, being the public, havent heard from in 62 years, was it hard to get ms. Bryant to chat with you . That was the easiest part. You go than a show up at the house and what happens . What was she like . She brought me inside. She was like every Methodist Church lady that i ever knew growing up. How old was she . She was 74 maybe, Something Like that. Frail or in good health . A little frail. She was a little shaky and had bad back trouble as i recall. Can i read from make six in your book . You write this. But her testimony that till had feierabended her around the waist and uttered obscenities, she now told me, quote, that part is not true. Walk me through exactly what she told you . Did she say i lied . She didnt use that word. She just she sort of painted that piece of her testimony and said that part is not true. And of course so i asked her what was true, as anybody would. She said i would like to tell you honestly, but i cant remember. She said you tell these stories until they seem true, but that part is not true. And then she said nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him. Did she seem remorseful . My father used to say we are not punished for our sins, we are punished by our sins. It was clear that it had been a big burden for her. But the truth is she is not the focus of the book. It is not really carolyns story. There is a war going on in mississippi in 1955. Brown vs. Board of education decision. White people were just in a furor, and the naacp was being very impressive, pushing to integrate the schools. When you start looking at the culpability in situations, you have to start with president eisenhower, who said of the white reaction to the brown decision, he said all the opponents of desegregation are concerned about is they dont want their tweet little girls sitting with some big overgrown negros. He was talking abo same idea that killed emmett till. So sort of the difference between when we ta about individual racism and racism systems . Yes. How come nine years pass before you told everyone what i thought was a bombshell . I was stunned. I am a historian, and this is an important american story. It is not simple. It was a global story. The evidence of this thing, to read all that stuff took me seven years. Did it ever occur to you that maybe someone from emmett tills family would have wanted to know nine years ago . Honestly, no, not at the time. I understand that now. But at the time, i was just deep down in trying to figure out this thing and trying to do its a hard book. I am not a victim by any means, but it was excruciating. It has to be. This story it is painful to read this book, and it is a phenomenal book by Timothy Tyson. The book is the blood of emmett till. Thank you. Appreciate it. Next on matter of fact, this young mississippi native never heard of emmett till or the trial that set his killers free . The only version of civil rights i was taught was that rosa parks sit down and Martin Luther king stood up. And later, a junior senator from illinois takes center stage. I accept your nomination for the presidency of the united states. The story of how and why 14yearold emmett till was killed in mississippi continues to resonate. Its a familiar narrative of a white woman accosted by a black teenager, her word against his. Enough in this case to propel his death. Enough for his mutilated body to be thrown into the river. The murder is a Pivotal Moment in the Civil Rights Movement, and the details matter as much now as they did back then. Historians are working to preserve those facts 62 years later. Jessica gomez has our report. Dr. Martin luther king and many other leaders in the Civil Rights Movement pointed for emmett tills killing as a defining moment. Rosa parks thought of till when she refused to give up her seat on a montgomery bus in 1955. Reverends king would deliver his famous i have a dream speech on the National Mall in washington eight years later, all 28th, 1963. The date was no accident. And today, it is still inspiring young people to help right the wrong. The only version of civil rights i was taught was that rosa parks salt down and Martin Luther king stood up and everybody was free. 309yearold Patrick Weems grew up ins mississippi president i until i was 18 and took a specific course on d about emmett till. Dies that when i learned about what happened, the injustices, but also that young people made hange, it compel compeled me to want to be a part of that change. He went about preserving the work at the center of the story. So in 1955, Carolyn Bryant told this sensationalized story, and she did it to kind of per stwade people that what her husband did was ok. It played into the myth that black men are rapists and will come after white women, and white women need to be protected. And because emmett till cant tell his own story, weems does, every day, in his role as the centers director. After the trial, people were embarrassed, ashamed, that this had happened in their community, especially after the two men confessed to the murder. R us to finally break that silence was for us a big step towards healing. Weems says there was no justice for till in this courtroom, but he wants to educate future generations in hopes of achieving racial equality and equal justice. For us to be a part of actually coming to the table and doing the hard work of telling the truth and speaking openly about race, my hope is that we emmerton power communities across that we empower Community Across this nation to look in their own back yards and understand how our history is impacting our current conversations around race. A Historical Marker near the Emmett Till Center was recently vandalized. It was repaired and rededicated last month on what would have been tills 76th birthday. For matter of fact, i am jessica gomez. Coming up next, she designed this staircase to tell the story of a people rising. You are lifted up so high, and that to me evokes a lot of emotion. Could she have imagined that millions we are approaching the onyear anniversary of the National Museum of africanamerican history and culture, where many of the most significant stories of the Civil Rights Movement are being told. 1. 2 Million People have already toured the museum. They can see the dress that rosa parks was making shortly before her 1955 arrest. They can see Michael Jacksons fe dortch ra. Keegee take in a tus airplane. They can see emmett tills casket. Another major attraction, a new part of civil rights history is the story of the 100year effort it took to build the museum itself. Our correspondent, diane roberts, reports on the stories of the dreamers and the doers who brought it to life. Every artifact has a story. One of struggle, perseverance and ultimately success. Zena howard knows those ideals all too well as one of the very few africanamerican women architec in the u. S. There are less than 200 today in the entire country. 02 . She became interested in becoming an architect as early as 8 years old. I knew what i wanted to do, but i didnt really have a bunch of people that could tell me what that was. But it all clicked when she saw the 70s comedy the brady bunch and dad mike brady at a drawing table. He was an architect. I was like what is that . I had to research it. I had to know what it was that he actually did for a living. Then at that point, the adults, my parents, were able to help me understand what it meant. As the daughter of civil rights activists from the south, zena grew up to break barriers and become one of the few in her field. For me, it is the culmination of finally being able to talk about my history as an africanamerican, our history as americans, with people that dont necessarily look like me in a way that finally feels safe and authentic. She worked on the sweeping staircase that leads to the y gallery. Metaphorical in a sense. You look back down, and you are lifted up so high. That to me evokes a lot of emotion. For matter of fact, i am diane roberts. Due to the high demand, timed entry passes are still required if you want to visit the National Museum of africanamer history and culture. Ou can find out more matter of fact pin tv. When we return, 45 years after dr. Martin luther king jr. Led the march on washington, a president took his first steps toward leading the nation. How both me august 28th, 2008. The day a young senator became the first africanamerican president ial candidate of a Major Political party, a date chosen for its historical significance. An opportunity for then senator barack obama to talk about civil rights in this country and the promise of america to unite. And it is that promise that 45 years ago today brought americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a mall in washington before lincolns memorial and hear a young preacher from georgia speak of his dream. [cheers and applause] the men and women who gathered there could have heard many things. They could have heard words of anger and discord. They could have been told to succumb to the fear and frustrations of so many dreams deferred. But what the people heard instead, people of every creed and color, from every walk of life, is that in america, our destiny is link the, that together our dreams can be won. I am soledad obrien, and we will see you back here next week for matter of fact. [captioning performed by the ]sible for i fegolden moment figure skating bashow, featuring karen chen,s polina edmunds, maia and alex shibutani, and many others. For more information, visit nbcbayarea. Com. Robert handa hello, and welcome to Asian Pacific america. Im robert handa, your host for our show here on nbc bay area and cozi tv. Today, we come to you from the oakland ice center, where we are going to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of Kristi Yamaguchi capturing olympic gold. Well talk to her about her upcoming show, coaching her daughter, as well as her program on increasing literacy among young people. Stay with us