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The murder of Emmett Till can be contributed to a number of cultural and historical factors that were present during the 1950's and 1960's. During this time the southern states were still smack in the middle of trying to avoid black integration into society. The south still viewed the black race as inferior and flat out disgusting. Although slavery was not still in existence, the persecution of the black race was still seen, especially in the Delta, where Till would eventually meet his end. Blacks, during this time, were seen as sex craved individuals. The main fear of he white man was that a black individual would “infest” his family. Because of this sexual propaganda that was raised in the south, black men were told as young kids to avoid contact with white women. This even involved eye contact. If contact was made, then in most cases the black man would be punished, either by a brutal beating or by a lynching. Lynchings were very popular in the south during these segregated times. According to the archives of the Tuskegee Institute of Alabama, 4,743 persons were lynched between 1882 and 1968. Of these victims, 3,446, or over 72 %, were black (Whitfield, pg.5). Another factor that led to the murder of Emmett Till