When Emmett Till’s mom sent him off to Money, Mississippi, for the summertime with their family, she didn’t imagine never seeing him again. His accuser, Carolyn Donham, made that a brutal reality for the Till family.
A recent discovery makes this killing ever more sinister.
Donham penned a secret memoir about Till’s murder. Donham says that she “always felt like a victim” too and “paid dearly with an altered life” for what happened to Till.
What’s an “altered life” when young Till’s life ended at fourteen years old?
Her story is full of contradictions. Donham claims to have yelled for help after being confronted by Till inside the grocery store in Money, but no one ever reported hearing her screams.
In a book by historian Timothy Tyson, Donham says she initially lied about Till grabbing her and whistling. However, she doubles back in her own memoir by saying Till actually did do those things.
It’s not adding up.
The Till family is still seeking justice. Although true justice would be for this to never happen again, for now, we must hold people accountable. Our children aren’t disposable.
No matter how much time passes or what new evidence appears, the Till family has NEVER given up their fight. We must do the same when it comes to our liberation.