Amidst all of the nonsense going on with Donald Trump and his unconstitutional executive orders, there has been news floating around concerning the tragic 1955 murder of Emmett Till. Specifically, author Timothy Tyson was able to meet with and talk to Carolyn Bryant, the woman who in some ways caused the death of Emmett Till.
For those who do not know the story of Emmett Till (although it is a moment of history that everyone in the United States should at least be aware of) the story goes that the 14-year-old black boy from Chicago was visiting the deep south where he "whistled" at 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant. Three days later Roy Bryant and J.W Milam, husband and brother-in-law to Carolyn, kidnapped the innocent Emmett Till and beat him to the point of disfiguration.
In the meeting between Timothy Tyson and the now 82-year-old Carolyn Bryant Donham, Carolyn seemed to be reflective and admitted that "nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him” and she also goes on to say that she felt "tender sorrow for Mamie Till-Mobley," Emmett Till's mother.
I am very sorry Carolyn but I could not care less about the tender sorrow you feel or about your irrelevant confession of guilt. Anyone with a working brain knew that Emmett Till was completely innocent so your confession does not come as a surprise to anyone. Timothy Tyson claimed that Carolyn "was glad things had changed [and she] thought the old system of white supremacy was wrong, though she had more or less taken it as normal at the time." How on earth is anyone supposed to believe that if there is no effort made on your part? Carolyn Bryant Donham may not be the type to join any racial reconciliation groups, as Tyson noted, but she was definitely the type to lie under oath and let two men get away with the murder of an innocent boy.
“That case went a long way toward ruining her life,” Tyson contends, as he explained that Carolyn could not escape the notoriety of the case. I find it absolutely baffling that the woman who's testimony allowed her ex-husband and brother-in-law to get away with the murder of an innocent boy would then say her life was ruined by the case. In my opinion, the case did not ruin her life, she was just suffering the consequences of her lies.
I understand that people change and I do hope that Carolyn Bryant Donham has truly changed as this would serve as a great example for white Americans today. But the way things are, I cannot bring myself to believe that age has brought increased wisdom to this woman. Actions speak a lot louder than words and while I do not expect nor do I want an 82-year-old woman to go out protesting racial injustice, I need something more than a statement of obvious facts which came 60 years late.
I am almost certain that many others feel the same.
