When we say that the Mississippi Delta was the "most southern place on Earth" during the 1950s, what we mea n is that this was the place where Southern values were most entrenched and protected. During this time period, such values included contempt or outright hatred for African Americans.
Although civil rights efforts had already started in the area before Emmett Till, these had not been particularly successful. White southerners were not open to the idea of change or equality, and they fought hard to keep their superiority over African Americans. This greatly affected their reaction to Emmett Till as it made them hostile towards the civil rights movement.
This hostility made it very difficult for African Americans to speak against segregation. Many of them feared the retaliation that could come from the white population. However, there were some exceptions to this, such as the testimony of Willie Reed. Reed was willing to testify against Bryant and Milam despite the fact that they were white.
The murder of Emmett Till, as well as the subsequent trial, was a spark for the Civil Rights Movement because it showed the extreme level of hatred towards blacks in the South. It also showed how the law was also biased against this population.
