The Power of a Mother
May 8, 2022
Warning: Possibly triggering
Spring has finally graced us with sun and warmth. For that, we can be grateful. Mother's Day is soon approaching, and I’d like to share a few thoughts about a mother not familiar to some. First, I must address my mom. I’m sure many of us have or had the best mom in the world… I know I did. She did come with flaws and imperfections, but it was only in adulthood that I really saw how tough her journey was. And this knowledge, only helped to reinforce what I’ve just stated, which is… I had the best mom in the world! The power of a mother’s ability to not only survive, but thrive after trauma, is quite remarkable. I am referring to emotional and mental strength.
As the saying goes. “You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.” (Bob Marley). This is how we get through our tough times; we don’t have a choice but to put one foot in front of the other. What if you’re faced with extreme traumatizing events? The unimaginable? There is another mother in history who experienced a deeply horrific tragedy involving her son. With respect and honor to this mother, I must tell some disturbing details of her story. That’s how she told it. It is a painful one, but if she endured and healed, I can muster up strength to talk about it.
The woman I speak of is, Mammie Till-Mobley. She was the young mother of Emmett Till, who was murdered in Mississippi in 1955. Emmett was only 14 years old. What makes this story disturbing is that her son was lynched, due to his skin color. His body was mutilated and became unrecognizable, but a mother always knows. My heart hurts for someone I never knew. I just can’t imagine!
Emmitt and his mother lived in Chicago, where they were relatively safe. Young Emmitt wanted to visit family members in Mississippi, and it would be the last time Mammie would see her son alive. The murderers were brothers and claimed the child made sexual advances towards one of the men’s wives, who worked at a corner store. Emmitt and his cousins purchased candy from the woman, as children do, and a simple polite smile by Emmitt, signed his death warrant. (If that’s even true. He likely avoided eye contact, as he’d been taught to do his whole life.) The dark color of skin was enough to end life in this area, regardless of age or gender. It was a time of brutal racism, especially in the south.
When Mammie received the news, it was the shock of her life, obviously. And then began the battle to justice. The first hurdle was to get Emmitt’s body back home to Chicago. Some officials of Mississippi were prepared to dig a hole and dump the body in; to not even allow a mother to bury her son. Eventually, his body did return home, under the condition that Mammie does not view the body. The coroner was concerned that the condition of her sons beaten body, should never be witnessed by anyone, especially his mother. This is where the power of a mother can truly be seen. Not only did Mammie demand to see her son, but she also insisted on an open casket funeral! This was not a common occurrence in 1955. In the words of Mammie, “let the people see what they did to my boy,” and tens of thousands of people did come to see. Complete strangers wailed and got physically ill by what they saw. It made national headlines and caused an outrage amongst both black and white people.
The men arrested had their day in court, almost literally. The trial lasted five days, and an all-white jury deliberated for just over an hour. NOT GUILTY! This mother had to live without justice. These monsters were roaming free. I’d be in such an outrage! Mammie was a woman of grace, faith and had an amazing strength. She did not seek revenge or live in anger. She would use her pain to change the world. Her choice to allow the public to see what horror humans are capable of, was what ignited the civil rights movement. She travelled across America, at speaking events, re-living the death of her son over and over again, for a greater purpose. Because of her, segregation and racism became unconstitutional. A black woman named Rosa Parks, refused to give up her seat on a bus, to a white man. She claimed she was inspired to do so because of Mammie Tills story. The domino affect had begun, and it was due to the power of a mother. Never underestimate yourself!
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