Carolyn Bryant Donham, a white woman whose accusation led to the brutal lynching of Emmett Till, died on Tuesday, July 20, at the age of 88 (USA Today). Till was just 14 years old when he was accused of making “improper advances” towards Donham in 1955, while visiting family in Mississippi (NPR). Donham, at the time, was a 21-year-old white woman married to Roy Bryant, a 24-year-old white man (The New York Times).
The allegation by Donham, that Till grabbed her and made suggestive remarks, led to his abduction and lynching by Roy Bryant and his half-brother, J.W. Milam, later that night (The New York Times). Till’s body was mutilated and his face was unrecognizable (Deadline).
Donham’s accusation and testimony during the trial resulted in the acquittal of Bryant and Milam. However, they later publicly confessed to the crime in a magazine interview (The Washington Post).
Till’s death became a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement, as his mother’s decision to hold an open-casket funeral allowed people to see the horrors of racism and violence against Black people in the United States (Mississippi Today).
Donham’s death means that she will not face any legal consequences for her role in Till’s death, as she was never charged (NBC News). Despite this, historians say that her false accusation and testimony were a key moment in American history, and raised awareness about the ongoing issue of racism in the country (CNN).
Although Donham never recanted her accusation, she spoke with historian Timothy Tyson in 2007 and confessed that her testimony wasn’t entirely true (The New York Times). Tyson stated that Donham told him that she could not remember the events clearly, and that her testimony was influenced by her husband’s anger (NPR).
As the country continues to grapple with issues of racism and police brutality, Donham’s death is a reminder of the injustices Black people have faced and continue to face in America, and the need to continue fighting against systemic racism (The Washington Post).
