Filmmaker’s work led to reopening of case
By Stephanie R. Jones
Contributing Writer
Filmmaker Keith A. Beauchamp was a small boy when he happened across a copy of Jet magazine at his parents’ home in Louisiana. He saw that infamous photo of Emmett Louis Till, the 14-year-old black boy murdered in Money, Miss., in 1955 because he allegedly said something to a white woman.
That photo stuck in his mind, and he wanted to know what really happened that led to Till’s death.
Years later, Beauchamp said he was assaulted by a police officer after dancing with a white female classmate in high school.
He set upon an investigation into the Till case.
New Hope Baptist Church rounded out its weekly Black History Month series Feb. 25, with a program dedicated to Till’s memory.
Beauchamp was the keynote speaker, telling about his work on an upcoming movie about the Till case. He produced the documentary, “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till,” which spurred the U.S. Department of Justice to reopen the Till case in 2004. A portion of that film was shown at New Hope.
His documentary includes interviews with Till’s mother Mamie Till Mobley, members of Till’s family and others familiar with or who have involvement with the case.
“As many young adults, I thought I had my life planned out (with college and a career),” Beauchamp said. But seeing the photo of Till changed things for him. Using the words of Till’s mother, he said, “I saw the face of hatred” in that photo.
Beauchamp is working on a full-length film about the case, which is scheduled to start production in the Mississippi Delta this summer and for release in spring 2017.
He said his run-in with the police compares in no way to what happened to Till or even the current incidences of young blacks being killed by police. But he said he hopes telling the story of the “ugliest brutality” that occurred in 1955 will enlighten people and encourage action against racial violence.
“There is no way to succeed in the civil rights struggle unless all of us become leaders, embrace and accept leadership roles and take a stand,” Beauchamp said.
Beauchamp said he’s been able to devote time to the Till project with the support of his parents Edgar and Ceola Beauchamp, who were with him in Jackson.
About 20 members of Till’s family were on hand for the program. Beauchamp said while he has visited the state many times and talked with family members, he was humbled to have so many of them together for the occasion at New Hope.
“It has been humbling. This was the first time I have seen everybody together,” he said.
Anna Williams of Port Gibson, speaking for the Till family, said the family was honored to be invited. “We’ve been working with Keith since 2003, and we appreciate what he’s doing,” Williams said.
Shirley Burns of Jackson attended the program and said she was moved by what she heard, especially about Till’s mother. “I thought ‘What kind of faith does that woman have?” Burns said.
Flonzie Brown-Wright, program organizer said upon meeting and speaking with Beauchamp, “I knew he understood he could have been Emmett Till.”
Two performers from the troupe MADDRAMA did a dramatic skit where Alisa Patrick McDonald portrayed Till’s mother and Jamarion Wright portrayed Emmett.
In a powerful and moving presentation, McDonald told the story of Mobley seeing her son off for a summer visit with relatives in Mississippi. Little did she know a week later her son would be dead.
Stephanie R. Jones can be reached at srjones13@gmail.com or (601) 454-0372.
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