Interviewer: Hello it is September 1st 1956. I am here to talk to one of the most respected African American lawyers, Clayton Chester Logan-the son of one of the biggest civil rights activist, Mary Logan. Hi Clayton! How are you? Clayton: Hi! I’m doing well. Interviewer: I understand that you have been working on the controversial case of the Emmett Till murdering. Tell us about it. Clayton: Emmett Till was only 14 years old when he went on vacation to see his relatives in Mississippi. From what I know about Emmett he was extremely intelligent and had a slight curious streak. He was from Chicago and had experienced segregation before but not to the extent of segregation and racism in Mississippi. While Emmett was at a local grocery store he flirted and maybe whistled at a white woman- to me that is not a crime at all, and definitely is not something a 14-year-old boy should be killed for! The two main suspects we are looking at right now are Roy Bryant the owner of the store and the husband of the white woman also his half brother J.W Milam. Interviewer: Some people think this is okay. What are you thoughts on this? Clayton: I think it is quite horrific that somebody can think something this horrible is considered okay! I know that some people thought that what he did was harassment but it certainly was not! They had no right to take away a young boys future for something so simple. I wish other people could put themselves in Mamie Till’s shoes (Emmett’s Mother) and just understand how horrible it is to have your loved son be taken away from you. And what Emmett did is NOT a crime! Interviewer: Thank you Clayton we appreciate all your thoughts. I wanted to ask you some personal questions about yourself and your life. I am sure people ask you this question quite often, what made you decide that you
wanted to be a lawyer and what made you pursue being a lawyer? What made you want to focus on criminal law rather then anything else? Clayton: Well, as a child being raised in Mississippi racism and segregation was very strong. My parents and family have always been very supportive of each other and my parents always told me to fight for what I believed in and always stand up for my self. My brother, Stacy Logan had a best friend named T.J. T.J made some decisions that weren’t very smart and he ended up being arrested for the crime of murder which we all know he didn’t commit. He wasn’t raised like my siblings and he and me didn’t know of the mess he was getting himself into. It was a very upsetting and traumatic experience because he had been a friend of my brother ever since I could remember. I want to be able to stop people of being accused of crimes they didn’t commit and I want to put people where they belong for doing bad things. Interviewer: Each member of your family I gather is a civil rights movement activist. What other things have you and your family done to stand up for yourselves? Clayton: As you said my whole family is participating in the civil rights movement. My mother participated in the Montgomery bus boycott and my older sister Cassie and I have been working on school desegregation. Interviewer: From what I know, you feel very strongly about the schools being desegregated. Tell us about this. Clayton: When I was a kid I remember having to walk to school while the other children got to ride a bus. It made my siblings and I very angry, especially me because the bus would splash me and get dirt on me and I was a neat freak as I still am today. I have one specific memory of being in school and receiving old worn down books that had already been used. It made me extremely upset and I would not accept the book. My teacher said, “it’s the way things are.” I wouldn’t accept that then and I will not accept that today. Interviewer: Thank you Clayton I appreciate you being here today!
-Alexis Schenker