emmetttill

For years I have posted numerous vids on Youtube about my historical journey as I travel around.  Since many of my road trips have involved driving to visit my Dad in Arkansas, a majority have been from historic sites throughout the Deep South.

There have been lots of stops visiting Civil War sites, but some of the most impactful have been retracing the Civil Rights era.  Easily the most emotional for me was seeking out the site of Bryant’s Grocery in Money, Mississisippi where Emmett Till allegedly whistled at a white woman and then was kidnapped and savagely murdered for it.  His killers, were found not guilty of the crime even though every speck of evidence pointed to their guilt.

Since I posted the original video in 2013, it has received quite a few comments, both good and bad.  One type of comment from some that I have found incredibly disturbing are the people who go on racist rant, some even saying that Till deserved it.  Truly vile stuff.

For the longest time I never censored the remarks, thinking that they should stand as an example of people’s ignorance and show the world that we still do have far to go.  Recently though, especially with the last election, there has been an increase in the hateful rhetoric.  My dilemma is whether or not to turn off comments, begin censoring some, or just allow a free for all.

By allowing these comments am I giving these people a voice and causing further damage?  Would keeping the comments be positive for the historical archive?  I’m of two minds about it, but I did finally block one viewer who seemed to make a hobby of spreading his vitriol.

I would love to hear your feedback.

To view the video click here