Beauchamp tells untold story Emmett Till

A door that revealed hidden facts about the brutal death of a 14-year old boy was ajar on Monday, February 18, 2002 in the Cotillion Ballroom at Southern University.
Over 400 students, staff, educators and administrators gathered and silently listened to the tale of intense death as Keith Beauchamp profoundly presented his first documentary “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till.”
Beauchamp, 30 a native of Baker attended Southern University in 1989 where he studied Criminal Justice and later in 1991 began working as a writer and producer for Big Baby Films, Inc., a film production company founded by childhood friends who are also natives of Louisiana. The company is located in New York.
The story of Emmett Louis Till inspired Beauchamp to write and produce a documentary because of the prejudices and injustices that people of color have encountered over the years.
Till allegedly whistled at a white woman and his punishment was death.
The documentary described how the murder took place in Leflore County, Miss. in 1955. Two white men went in through the front door of Till’s house while a black man stood guard at the back door. The men removed the 14-year old boy away from his uncle’s house. It was said that he was taken into a barn that was owned by one of the murderers and was shot in the head.
According to reports one of his eyes were gashed out while barbed wire was tied around his neck and his head was smashed in. His body was then dumped in the Tallahatchie River and found three days later.
The documentary showed that a black man eyewitnessed the murder, but when he testified in court his voice was so low the testimony was pronounced as unusable evidence and it was dismissed.
Several students in attendance were crying due to the emotional and heart touched affects of the documentary.
In the closing of the documentary, several educators present voiced the importance of keeping yourself abreast with knowledge taking advantage of your civil rights and how important your vote is.
In his pursuit to write and direct films, Beauchamp hopes to raise the consciousness of the world about other African-Americans and their contributions to society.
“My ancestors carried the torch for a better way of life, now it’s my turn to continue it,” said Beauchamp.”
For more information on Beauchamp’s documentary, “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till,” log on www.emmetttillstory.com.