In this powerful episode of True Crime with Tiff Kline, we travel from 1955 Mississippi to the world we live in today — tracing the painful, undeniable line between the lynching of Emmett Till and the modern‑day hatred that claimed the life of Sam Nordquist.
Tiff unpacks the night Emmett was stolen from his bed, the sham trial that followed, and the all‑white jury that never intended to deliver justice. She explores the courage of witnesses like Willy Reed, the strength of Mamie Till‑Mobley, and the moment Emmett’s open casket forced America to confront the brutality it tried to hide.
But this episode doesn’t stop in the past.
Tiff draws a direct, unflinching connection between the racism that killed Emmett Till and the bigotry that continues to target transgender and LGBTQIA+ people today. Through Sam Nordquist’s story, she exposes how hate evolves — shifting its targets, changing its language, but never losing its power unless we confront it.
This is not just a history lesson.
It’s a warning.
A mirror.
A call to action.
Because Emmett deserved to grow up.
Sam deserved to grow .
And every person targeted for their race, identity, or existence deserves safety, dignity, and a future.
Join Tiff as she honors their stories, challenges the systems that failed them, and reminds us why telling the truth — even when it hurts — is the most powerful form of justice we have left.
Emmett Till was stolen in the night.
Sam Nordquist was erased in the daylight.
Two lives, decades apart — but bound by the same thread of hate, silence, and injustice.
This episode wasn’t just about remembering.
It was about recognizing.
Recognizing that racism didn’t die with Emmett’s killers.
Recognizing that transphobia didn’t disappear with a pride parade.
Recognizing that the systems that failed Emmett are still failing Sam — and so many others.
We live in a world where Black children are still profiled.
Where transgender youth are still targeted.
Where bigotry adapts, evolves, and hides behind new laws, new language, new lies.
But we also live in a world where truth still matters.
Where storytelling still heals.
Where remembrance is resistance.
Emmett deserved to grow up.
Sam deserved to grow up.
And every person who’s ever been told they don’t belong deserves safety, dignity, and a future.
So we keep telling their stories.
We keep saying their names.
We keep fighting for the world they should’ve had.
