Emmett Till's mother insisted that her son's body be placed on view in an open-casket funeral for the press to document and the public to see. Her decision went against the wishes of the authorities in Mississippi, who wanted the mutilated body quickly buried. Mamie Till's decision is an example of ____________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mamie Till's decision to display her son's body in an open-casket funeral was countervisuality, meaning it went against the dominant visual representations of black bodies at that time. She wanted the public to see the brutal reality of racism and violence in America, and this act of countervisuality helped to ignite the civil rights movement.

Emmett Till's Mother Insisted That Her Son's Body Be Placed