This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/27/us/carolyn-bryant-donham-dead.html

The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 5 Version 6
Carolyn Bryant Donham Dies at 88; Her Words Doomed Emmett Till Carolyn Bryant Donham Dies at 88; Her Words Doomed Emmett Till
(about 1 hour later)
Only two people knew exactly what happened during the minute they were alone together in the general store in Money, Miss., on Aug. 24, 1955. One, Emmett Till, a Black teenager visiting from Chicago, died four days later, at 14, in a brutal murder that stands out even in America’s long history of racial injustice.Only two people knew exactly what happened during the minute they were alone together in the general store in Money, Miss., on Aug. 24, 1955. One, Emmett Till, a Black teenager visiting from Chicago, died four days later, at 14, in a brutal murder that stands out even in America’s long history of racial injustice.
The other was Carolyn Bryant. She was the 21-year-old white proprietress of the store where, according to her testimony in the September 1955 trial of her husband and his half brother for the murder, Emmett made a sexually suggestive remark to her, grabbed her roughly by the waist and let loose a wolf whistle.The other was Carolyn Bryant. She was the 21-year-old white proprietress of the store where, according to her testimony in the September 1955 trial of her husband and his half brother for the murder, Emmett made a sexually suggestive remark to her, grabbed her roughly by the waist and let loose a wolf whistle.
Now Mrs. Bryant, more recently known as Carolyn Bryant Donham, has died at 88. On Thursday, Megan LeBoeuf, the chief investigator for the Calcasieu Parish coroner’s office in Louisiana, sent a statement confirming the death, on Tuesday, in Westlake, a small city in southern Louisiana. Ms. LeBoeuf did not provide further information.Now Mrs. Bryant, more recently known as Carolyn Bryant Donham, has died at 88. On Thursday, Megan LeBoeuf, the chief investigator for the Calcasieu Parish coroner’s office in Louisiana, sent a statement confirming the death, on Tuesday, in Westlake, a small city in southern Louisiana. Ms. LeBoeuf did not provide further information.
With Mrs. Bryant’s death, the truth of what happened that August day may now never be clear. More than half a century after the murder, Timothy B. Tyson, a Duke University historian who interviewed her, wrote that she had admitted to him that she had perjured herself on the witness stand to make Emmett’s conduct sound more threatening than it actually was — serving, in Dr. Tyson’s words, as “the mouthpiece of a monstrous lie.”With Mrs. Bryant’s death, the truth of what happened that August day may now never be clear. More than half a century after the murder, Timothy B. Tyson, a Duke University historian who interviewed her, wrote that she had admitted to him that she had perjured herself on the witness stand to make Emmett’s conduct sound more threatening than it actually was — serving, in Dr. Tyson’s words, as “the mouthpiece of a monstrous lie.”
“She said with respect to the physical assault on her, or anything menacing or sexual, that that part isn’t true,” Dr. Tyson told “CBS This Morning” in 2017.“She said with respect to the physical assault on her, or anything menacing or sexual, that that part isn’t true,” Dr. Tyson told “CBS This Morning” in 2017.
The publication of his book on the case, “The Blood of Emmett Till” (2017), prompted the Justice Department to reopen an investigation, in which it subpoenaed Dr. Tyson’s research materials. The federal authorities said Mrs. Bryant denied ever having changed her story, and they questioned Dr. Tyson’s claims, saying a tape recording of an interview that he had conducted with her, which he had provided to investigators, did not contain any sort of recantation. They closed the case in 2012 without bringing charges. The publication of his book on the case, “The Blood of Emmett Till” (2017), prompted the Justice Department to reopen an investigation, in which it subpoenaed Dr. Tyson’s research materials. The federal authorities said Mrs. Bryant denied ever having changed her story, and they questioned Dr. Tyson’s claims, saying a tape recording of an interview that he had conducted with her, which he had provided to investigators, did not contain any sort of recantation. They closed the case in 2021 without bringing charges.
In an unpublished memoir that surfaced last year, Mrs. Bryant stood by her earlier description of events, though she said she had tried to discourage her husband from harming Emmett.In an unpublished memoir that surfaced last year, Mrs. Bryant stood by her earlier description of events, though she said she had tried to discourage her husband from harming Emmett.
“He came in our store and put his hands on me with no provocation,” she wrote. “Do I think he should have been killed for doing that? Absolutely, unequivocally, no!”“He came in our store and put his hands on me with no provocation,” she wrote. “Do I think he should have been killed for doing that? Absolutely, unequivocally, no!”
The Till family said the account was rife with inaccuracies.The Till family said the account was rife with inaccuracies.
The murder of Emmett Till was a watershed in United States race relations. Coverage of the killing and its aftermath, including a widely disseminated photograph of Till’s brutalized body at his open-casket funeral, inspired anguish and outrage, helped propel the modern civil rights movement and ultimately contributed to the demise of Jim Crow.The murder of Emmett Till was a watershed in United States race relations. Coverage of the killing and its aftermath, including a widely disseminated photograph of Till’s brutalized body at his open-casket funeral, inspired anguish and outrage, helped propel the modern civil rights movement and ultimately contributed to the demise of Jim Crow.
A former beauty queen described in the news media as having been poor, unworldly and little educated in 1955, Mrs. Bryant was very much a product of her time and place, as her trial testimony, given under oath, makes plain.A former beauty queen described in the news media as having been poor, unworldly and little educated in 1955, Mrs. Bryant was very much a product of her time and place, as her trial testimony, given under oath, makes plain.
Describing him with a racial slur — as recorded in a trial transcript, long thought to have been lost, that resurfaced in 2004 — she said Emmett had come into the store and “put his left hand on my waist, and he put his other hand over on the other side.” She added, “He said, ‘What’s the matter, baby? Can’t you take it?’”Describing him with a racial slur — as recorded in a trial transcript, long thought to have been lost, that resurfaced in 2004 — she said Emmett had come into the store and “put his left hand on my waist, and he put his other hand over on the other side.” She added, “He said, ‘What’s the matter, baby? Can’t you take it?’”
Mrs. Bryant further testified that Emmett had made an obscene remark, which she refused to repeat in court, about his sexual prowess with white women. As news accounts reported afterward, her testimony carried the unmistakable implication that she feared being raped.Mrs. Bryant further testified that Emmett had made an obscene remark, which she refused to repeat in court, about his sexual prowess with white women. As news accounts reported afterward, her testimony carried the unmistakable implication that she feared being raped.
“I was just scared to death,” she testified.“I was just scared to death,” she testified.
After deliberating for little more than an hour, the all-white, all-male jury acquitted her husband, Roy Bryant, and his half brother J.W. Milam. Mrs. Bryant, who testified for the defense, was not charged.After deliberating for little more than an hour, the all-white, all-male jury acquitted her husband, Roy Bryant, and his half brother J.W. Milam. Mrs. Bryant, who testified for the defense, was not charged.
Secure in the knowledge that double jeopardy would attach, the two men admitted the killing the next year in a Look magazine article for which they were paid. Mr. Milam died in 1980, Mr. Bryant in 1994.Secure in the knowledge that double jeopardy would attach, the two men admitted the killing the next year in a Look magazine article for which they were paid. Mr. Milam died in 1980, Mr. Bryant in 1994.
Though Mrs. Bryant had testified without the jury present, her description of Till’s behavior was reprised by courtroom spectators and members of the press. As a result, it has endured in public memory as a canonical narrative of the events of that August night — long believed in some quarters, long doubted in others.Though Mrs. Bryant had testified without the jury present, her description of Till’s behavior was reprised by courtroom spectators and members of the press. As a result, it has endured in public memory as a canonical narrative of the events of that August night — long believed in some quarters, long doubted in others.
The flashpoint of the Till case and its last living principal figure, Mrs. Bryant has long remained its central enigma. After the trial she disappeared from view, for decades refusing requests for interviews from the few journalists and historians who managed to find her.The flashpoint of the Till case and its last living principal figure, Mrs. Bryant has long remained its central enigma. After the trial she disappeared from view, for decades refusing requests for interviews from the few journalists and historians who managed to find her.
By the time Dr. Tyson interviewed her, at her request, her memory of that long-ago night had dimmed greatly, leaving questions about the precise nature of her role in Till’s murder:By the time Dr. Tyson interviewed her, at her request, her memory of that long-ago night had dimmed greatly, leaving questions about the precise nature of her role in Till’s murder:
Was Mrs. Bryant an accidental catalyst to history, or was she a participant, however tangential, in a violent hate crime? What, if anything, did she tell her husband just after Till’s visit to the store?Was Mrs. Bryant an accidental catalyst to history, or was she a participant, however tangential, in a violent hate crime? What, if anything, did she tell her husband just after Till’s visit to the store?
Mrs. Bryant first came to renewed attention in 2004, when the Justice Department began a reinvestigation of the case in an attempt to secure belated indictments against others who may have been involved, including her. Then as in 1955, according to news reports, she maintained that she had nothing to do with the crime.Mrs. Bryant first came to renewed attention in 2004, when the Justice Department began a reinvestigation of the case in an attempt to secure belated indictments against others who may have been involved, including her. Then as in 1955, according to news reports, she maintained that she had nothing to do with the crime.
No federal charges were filed as a result of the renewed inquiry, which was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2007, a Mississippi grand jury declined to indict Mrs. Bryant, then in her 70s, on a state charge of manslaughter in connection with the case.No federal charges were filed as a result of the renewed inquiry, which was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2007, a Mississippi grand jury declined to indict Mrs. Bryant, then in her 70s, on a state charge of manslaughter in connection with the case.
And last year, a grand jury in Mississippi examining the case anew declined to indict her on charges of kidnapping or manslaughter. After hearing more than seven hours of testimony from investigators and witnesses with direct knowledge of the case, the panel said it did not find sufficient evidence to charge her.And last year, a grand jury in Mississippi examining the case anew declined to indict her on charges of kidnapping or manslaughter. After hearing more than seven hours of testimony from investigators and witnesses with direct knowledge of the case, the panel said it did not find sufficient evidence to charge her.
But what has been unequivocal about her role from the beginning is that the abduction, torture and murder of Emmett Till were carried out to avenge her honor.But what has been unequivocal about her role from the beginning is that the abduction, torture and murder of Emmett Till were carried out to avenge her honor.
Madge Carolyn Holloway was born on July 23, 1934, on a plantation near Cruger, Miss. Her father, who died when she was a teenager, worked as a plantation manager and prison guard. After his death her mother became a nurse, and the family moved to Indianola, Miss.Madge Carolyn Holloway was born on July 23, 1934, on a plantation near Cruger, Miss. Her father, who died when she was a teenager, worked as a plantation manager and prison guard. After his death her mother became a nurse, and the family moved to Indianola, Miss.
A petite, attractive, dark-haired young woman, Carolyn won two high school beauty pageants. In 1951, at 16, she left school to elope with Mr. Bryant, a 20-year-old Army infantryman she had met at a party two years before.A petite, attractive, dark-haired young woman, Carolyn won two high school beauty pageants. In 1951, at 16, she left school to elope with Mr. Bryant, a 20-year-old Army infantryman she had met at a party two years before.
“According to other family members I’ve talked to, Carolyn was a little bit different than the rest of them,” Devery S. Anderson, the author of “Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement” (2015), said in an interview for this obituary in 2016. “They all married refined men — ‘gentlemen,’ as they refer to them — where Carolyn was attracted to the bad boys, of which Roy Bryant was one.”“According to other family members I’ve talked to, Carolyn was a little bit different than the rest of them,” Devery S. Anderson, the author of “Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement” (2015), said in an interview for this obituary in 2016. “They all married refined men — ‘gentlemen,’ as they refer to them — where Carolyn was attracted to the bad boys, of which Roy Bryant was one.”
Settling in Money, a tiny Delta town, the couple ran Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market, which catered mainly to Black sharecroppers. By 1955 they had two sons, Roy Jr., 3, and Thomas Lamar, 2. The family lived in rooms at the rear of the store.Settling in Money, a tiny Delta town, the couple ran Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market, which catered mainly to Black sharecroppers. By 1955 they had two sons, Roy Jr., 3, and Thomas Lamar, 2. The family lived in rooms at the rear of the store.
Emmet Till, known to friends and family as Bobo, arrived in Mississippi by train on Saturday, Aug. 20, or Sunday, Aug. 21, 1955 — accounts differ as to the precise date. By the 21st, he had settled in at the home of a great-uncle, Moses Wright, near Money. Emmett Till, known to friends and family as Bobo, arrived in Mississippi by train on Saturday, Aug. 20, or Sunday, Aug. 21, 1955 — accounts differ as to the precise date. By the 21st, he had settled in at the home of a great-uncle, Moses Wright, near Money.
On the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 24, Emmett drove with a group of local Black teenagers to the Bryants’ store. Among them were 18-year-old Ruthie Mae Crawford, who years later spoke of having been able to see Emmett through the store’s plate-glass window the whole time, and Simeon Wright, Till’s 12-year-old cousin.On the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 24, Emmett drove with a group of local Black teenagers to the Bryants’ store. Among them were 18-year-old Ruthie Mae Crawford, who years later spoke of having been able to see Emmett through the store’s plate-glass window the whole time, and Simeon Wright, Till’s 12-year-old cousin.
Emmett went into the store to buy a small item, most likely two cents’ worth of bubble gum.Emmett went into the store to buy a small item, most likely two cents’ worth of bubble gum.
Mr. Bryant, who moonlighted as a trucker, was out of town, hauling a load of shrimp from New Orleans to Texas. Mrs. Bryant was tending the counter; she testified in court that her sister-in-law Juanita Milam, J.W.’s wife, was in the living quarters, looking after the Bryant boys and her own two children.Mr. Bryant, who moonlighted as a trucker, was out of town, hauling a load of shrimp from New Orleans to Texas. Mrs. Bryant was tending the counter; she testified in court that her sister-in-law Juanita Milam, J.W.’s wife, was in the living quarters, looking after the Bryant boys and her own two children.
By most accounts, Emmett was alone with Mrs. Bryant for not much more than a minute before one of his companions — in Simeon Wright’s recollection, it was he — concerned that Emmet would not know how to comport himself around a Southern white woman, went in to fetch him. By most accounts, Emmett was alone with Mrs. Bryant for not much more than a minute before one of his companions — in Simeon Wright’s recollection, it was he — concerned that Emmett would not know how to comport himself around a Southern white woman, went in to fetch him.
“While I was in the store, Bobo did nothing inappropriate,” Mr. Wright recounted in “Simeon’s Story,” his 2010 memoir of the case. “Bobo didn’t ask her for a date or call her ‘baby.’ There was no lecherous conversation between them.”“While I was in the store, Bobo did nothing inappropriate,” Mr. Wright recounted in “Simeon’s Story,” his 2010 memoir of the case. “Bobo didn’t ask her for a date or call her ‘baby.’ There was no lecherous conversation between them.”
But whatever transpired during the minute that Emmett was alone with Mrs. Bryant precipitated all that followed.But whatever transpired during the minute that Emmett was alone with Mrs. Bryant precipitated all that followed.
On Saturday, Aug. 27, Mr. Bryant returned home. It has generally been assumed that Mrs. Bryant told him about the episode in the store soon afterward. In fact, Mr. Anderson said, his research strongly suggested that she and her sister-in-law chose to suppress the incident altogether.On Saturday, Aug. 27, Mr. Bryant returned home. It has generally been assumed that Mrs. Bryant told him about the episode in the store soon afterward. In fact, Mr. Anderson said, his research strongly suggested that she and her sister-in-law chose to suppress the incident altogether.
“She and Juanita decided not to tell their husbands, because they knew they would go out and try to hurt him,” he said. “Some people, especially when they write me, they’ll say, ‘It was all her fault, because she told Roy.’ But she didn’t tell him.”“She and Juanita decided not to tell their husbands, because they knew they would go out and try to hurt him,” he said. “Some people, especially when they write me, they’ll say, ‘It was all her fault, because she told Roy.’ But she didn’t tell him.”
Someone did, though. As the African American surgeon and civil rights leader T.R.M. Howard concluded from his own investigation in 1955, that person was most likely a local Black field hand. Several field hands had been playing checkers on the porch of the Bryants’ store that evening; one of them apparently told Mr. Bryant in an attempt to curry favor.Someone did, though. As the African American surgeon and civil rights leader T.R.M. Howard concluded from his own investigation in 1955, that person was most likely a local Black field hand. Several field hands had been playing checkers on the porch of the Bryants’ store that evening; one of them apparently told Mr. Bryant in an attempt to curry favor.
“One source said he got 50 cents’ worth of store credit for it,” Mr. Anderson said.“One source said he got 50 cents’ worth of store credit for it,” Mr. Anderson said.
On Sunday, Aug. 28, a few hours after midnight, Mr. Bryant and Mr. Milam drove to the home of Till’s great-uncle Moses Wright. Holding Mr. Wright at gunpoint, they demanded Till.On Sunday, Aug. 28, a few hours after midnight, Mr. Bryant and Mr. Milam drove to the home of Till’s great-uncle Moses Wright. Holding Mr. Wright at gunpoint, they demanded Till.
Mr. Wright later testified that as they left his house with Emmett in tow, one of the men asked someone outside whether the youth was “the right one.” From a waiting car or truck, a light voice — possibly a woman’s, Mr. Wright said — replied that he was.Mr. Wright later testified that as they left his house with Emmett in tow, one of the men asked someone outside whether the youth was “the right one.” From a waiting car or truck, a light voice — possibly a woman’s, Mr. Wright said — replied that he was.
Whether the voice belonged to Mrs. Bryant remains an open question. She always denied having been along when Emmett was abducted.Whether the voice belonged to Mrs. Bryant remains an open question. She always denied having been along when Emmett was abducted.
“I have a hard time thinking she wasn’t in the car,” Mr. Anderson said. “I think she was, but I don’t think she was there willingly.”“I have a hard time thinking she wasn’t in the car,” Mr. Anderson said. “I think she was, but I don’t think she was there willingly.”
What emerged in the 2004 F.B.I. investigation was that before Roy Bryant went to Mr. Wright’s house, he had asked his wife to look at two other Black youths and tell him whether either was the one who had flirted with her. Both times she said no.What emerged in the 2004 F.B.I. investigation was that before Roy Bryant went to Mr. Wright’s house, he had asked his wife to look at two other Black youths and tell him whether either was the one who had flirted with her. Both times she said no.
After taking Emmett from his great-uncle’s, Mr. Bryant and Mr. Milam drove him to the Bryants’ store. It is beyond dispute that they presented him to Mrs. Bryant there. She said afterward that she had replied that he, too, was the wrong person.After taking Emmett from his great-uncle’s, Mr. Bryant and Mr. Milam drove him to the Bryants’ store. It is beyond dispute that they presented him to Mrs. Bryant there. She said afterward that she had replied that he, too, was the wrong person.
“She did tell the defense attorneys a couple days after the murder, ‘They brought the Negro boy to the store and he was scared, but he wasn’t harmed, and I told him that he wasn’t the right one,’” Mr. Anderson said in the 2016 interview.“She did tell the defense attorneys a couple days after the murder, ‘They brought the Negro boy to the store and he was scared, but he wasn’t harmed, and I told him that he wasn’t the right one,’” Mr. Anderson said in the 2016 interview.
Mr. Anderson came to believe, he said, that Mrs. Bryant actually saw Emmett in both places: first outside his great-uncle’s house, where she identified him, and later in the store, where she had second thoughts.Mr. Anderson came to believe, he said, that Mrs. Bryant actually saw Emmett in both places: first outside his great-uncle’s house, where she identified him, and later in the store, where she had second thoughts.
“She was in the car, and identified him as the right one, not knowing what they were going to do — that they were going to kidnap him,” he said. “And it’s possible that by the time they got to the store and dropped her off, she said: ‘Oh, no. He’s not the right one after all.’”“She was in the car, and identified him as the right one, not knowing what they were going to do — that they were going to kidnap him,” he said. “And it’s possible that by the time they got to the store and dropped her off, she said: ‘Oh, no. He’s not the right one after all.’”
Leaving Mrs. Bryant at the store, Mr. Bryant and Mr. Milam, accompanied by several other men — white associates, as well as Black employees conscripted under duress — drove Emmett toward Drew, Miss., about 30 miles away. (No one else in the truck was ever charged in connection with the crime.)Leaving Mrs. Bryant at the store, Mr. Bryant and Mr. Milam, accompanied by several other men — white associates, as well as Black employees conscripted under duress — drove Emmett toward Drew, Miss., about 30 miles away. (No one else in the truck was ever charged in connection with the crime.)
Just outside Drew, on a plantation managed by Leslie Milam, J.W.’s brother, they beat Emmett savagely. Willie Reed, a local Black teenager who happened to be passing by on foot, later told Dr. Howard, the civil-rights leader, that he could hear Emmett crying, “Mama, please save me” from inside a barn on the property.Just outside Drew, on a plantation managed by Leslie Milam, J.W.’s brother, they beat Emmett savagely. Willie Reed, a local Black teenager who happened to be passing by on foot, later told Dr. Howard, the civil-rights leader, that he could hear Emmett crying, “Mama, please save me” from inside a barn on the property.
One of the group, possibly J.W. Milam, shot Emmett in the head. Driving to the Tallahatchie River nearby, the men used barbed wire to lace a cotton-gin fan around Till’s neck and dumped his body in the water.One of the group, possibly J.W. Milam, shot Emmett in the head. Driving to the Tallahatchie River nearby, the men used barbed wire to lace a cotton-gin fan around Till’s neck and dumped his body in the water.
Later that Sunday, Roy Bryant was arrested in connection with Till’s disappearance. J.W. Milam was arrested the next day. (In 2022, a team of researchers, including relatives of Emmet Till, discovered in the basement of a Greenwood, Miss., courthouse a sheriff’s warrant for Mrs. Bryant’s arrest as well, also charging her in Till’s kidnapping. The warrant, dated Aug. 29, was never served.) Later that Sunday, Roy Bryant was arrested in connection with Till’s disappearance. J.W. Milam was arrested the next day. (In 2022, a team of researchers, including relatives of Emmett Till, discovered in the basement of a Greenwood, Miss., courthouse a sheriff’s warrant for Mrs. Bryant’s arrest as well, also charging her in Till’s kidnapping. The warrant, dated Aug. 29, was never served.)
On Aug. 30, Mrs. Bryant gave her first statement to her husband’s lawyers. At that point, Till’s body had not been discovered, and the men were suspected only of kidnapping. (Both had told law-enforcement authorities that they had taken Emmett from his great-uncle’s home but released him alive.)On Aug. 30, Mrs. Bryant gave her first statement to her husband’s lawyers. At that point, Till’s body had not been discovered, and the men were suspected only of kidnapping. (Both had told law-enforcement authorities that they had taken Emmett from his great-uncle’s home but released him alive.)
As reported in Dr. Tyson’s book, Mrs. Bryant’s initial statement was comparatively benign. She “charged only that Emmett had ‘insulted’ her, not grabbed her, and certainly not attempted to rape her.”As reported in Dr. Tyson’s book, Mrs. Bryant’s initial statement was comparatively benign. She “charged only that Emmett had ‘insulted’ her, not grabbed her, and certainly not attempted to rape her.”
The killers clearly never expected Emmett to be found: The fan to which they had lashed him weighed some 70 pounds. But on Aug. 31, Till’s body was recovered from the river. Mr. Bryant and Mr. Milam were charged with his murder.The killers clearly never expected Emmett to be found: The fan to which they had lashed him weighed some 70 pounds. But on Aug. 31, Till’s body was recovered from the river. Mr. Bryant and Mr. Milam were charged with his murder.
In a second interview with defense lawyers, on Sept. 2 — recorded in a defense memo uncovered during the F.B.I. investigation of 2004 — Mrs. Bryant’s statement had assumed more dramatic form. But it nonetheless described a milder scenario than the one she would recount in court:In a second interview with defense lawyers, on Sept. 2 — recorded in a defense memo uncovered during the F.B.I. investigation of 2004 — Mrs. Bryant’s statement had assumed more dramatic form. But it nonetheless described a milder scenario than the one she would recount in court:
“When I went to take money he grabbed my hand and said, ‘How about a date?’” she said in that statement. “And I walked away from him and he said, ‘What’s the matter, baby, can’t you take it?’ He went out the door and said ‘Goodbye’ and I went out to car and got pistol and when I came back he whistled at me.”“When I went to take money he grabbed my hand and said, ‘How about a date?’” she said in that statement. “And I walked away from him and he said, ‘What’s the matter, baby, can’t you take it?’ He went out the door and said ‘Goodbye’ and I went out to car and got pistol and when I came back he whistled at me.”
By the time Mrs. Bryant gave the second statement, her husband’s family had taken her to live with them and were, she said, deliberately isolating her.By the time Mrs. Bryant gave the second statement, her husband’s family had taken her to live with them and were, she said, deliberately isolating her.
“They were keeping me from everybody,” she told Dr. Tyson. “They were afraid that I might say something they didn’t want me to say or I might reveal something they didn’t want revealed.”“They were keeping me from everybody,” she told Dr. Tyson. “They were afraid that I might say something they didn’t want me to say or I might reveal something they didn’t want revealed.”
The trial of Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam for the murder of Emmett Louis Till opened in Sumner, Miss., on Monday, Sept. 19, with the world press in attendance.The trial of Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam for the murder of Emmett Louis Till opened in Sumner, Miss., on Monday, Sept. 19, with the world press in attendance.
On Sept. 22, Mrs. Bryant took the witness stand. She testified to the wolf whistle, described in her statement of Sept. 2. But now she also testified to Till’s “strong grip” when he grabbed her hand, his pursuit of her through the store, his catching of her around the waist and his use of a sexual obscenity — elements not present in either of her pretrial statements.On Sept. 22, Mrs. Bryant took the witness stand. She testified to the wolf whistle, described in her statement of Sept. 2. But now she also testified to Till’s “strong grip” when he grabbed her hand, his pursuit of her through the store, his catching of her around the waist and his use of a sexual obscenity — elements not present in either of her pretrial statements.
The defense team was eager for the jury to hear Mrs. Bryant’s vivid account of what happened in the store — a narrative that, by the prevailing mores of midcentury Mississippi, might well have been considered ample justification for his murder.The defense team was eager for the jury to hear Mrs. Bryant’s vivid account of what happened in the store — a narrative that, by the prevailing mores of midcentury Mississippi, might well have been considered ample justification for his murder.
But the presiding judge, Curtis M. Swango Jr., whose conduct of the trial was almost universally praised by Northern and Southern observers alike, ruled that events in the store should not be brought to bear on the essential question of the defendants’ guilt. In consequence, the jury was absent from the courtroom during Mrs. Bryant’s testimony.But the presiding judge, Curtis M. Swango Jr., whose conduct of the trial was almost universally praised by Northern and Southern observers alike, ruled that events in the store should not be brought to bear on the essential question of the defendants’ guilt. In consequence, the jury was absent from the courtroom during Mrs. Bryant’s testimony.
On Friday, Sept. 23, at 2:34 p.m., the case went to the jury. Returning at 3:42, they pronounced the defendants not guilty of Till’s murder. They would have reached their verdict even sooner, a juror said afterward, had they not taken a break to drink soda pop.On Friday, Sept. 23, at 2:34 p.m., the case went to the jury. Returning at 3:42, they pronounced the defendants not guilty of Till’s murder. They would have reached their verdict even sooner, a juror said afterward, had they not taken a break to drink soda pop.
In November 1955, a Mississippi grand jury declined to indict Mr. Bryant and Mr. Milam for Till’s kidnapping.In November 1955, a Mississippi grand jury declined to indict Mr. Bryant and Mr. Milam for Till’s kidnapping.
In December, Rosa Parks declined to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Ala., city bus, an act that touched off the historic bus boycott there. In making her steadfast refusal, she said afterward, she thought consciously of Emmett Till.In December, Rosa Parks declined to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Ala., city bus, an act that touched off the historic bus boycott there. In making her steadfast refusal, she said afterward, she thought consciously of Emmett Till.
After the trial, the Bryants’ store was boycotted by local Black residents and closed within weeks; Roy Bryant later trained as a welder, an occupation that eventually rendered him legally blind. The Bryants left the state in the late 1950s, living in Louisiana and Texas before returning to Mississippi in 1973. There, they ran a grocery store.After the trial, the Bryants’ store was boycotted by local Black residents and closed within weeks; Roy Bryant later trained as a welder, an occupation that eventually rendered him legally blind. The Bryants left the state in the late 1950s, living in Louisiana and Texas before returning to Mississippi in 1973. There, they ran a grocery store.
Mrs. Bryant divorced her husband in 1975, citing in court papers “habitual drunkenness” and “habitual cruel and inhuman treatment.” She married at least twice more: She was widowed by one husband, Griffin Chandler, and divorced from another, David Donham.Mrs. Bryant divorced her husband in 1975, citing in court papers “habitual drunkenness” and “habitual cruel and inhuman treatment.” She married at least twice more: She was widowed by one husband, Griffin Chandler, and divorced from another, David Donham.
By all accounts, Mrs. Bryant, who resided for many years in Greenville, Miss., about 60 miles southwest of Money, lived a life of self-imposed circumscription and did not work outside the home.By all accounts, Mrs. Bryant, who resided for many years in Greenville, Miss., about 60 miles southwest of Money, lived a life of self-imposed circumscription and did not work outside the home.
“She’s received threats, I know,” Mr. Anderson said. “She’s afraid to be out, even at family reunions and things like that. She’s avoided most social situations because she’s afraid either of people asking her about the case, or not knowing if somebody is going to threaten her.”“She’s received threats, I know,” Mr. Anderson said. “She’s afraid to be out, even at family reunions and things like that. She’s avoided most social situations because she’s afraid either of people asking her about the case, or not knowing if somebody is going to threaten her.”
In the late 1980s, Mrs. Bryant studied part time at what is now Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead but did not earn a degree. In later years, she lived in Raleigh, N.C.In the late 1980s, Mrs. Bryant studied part time at what is now Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead but did not earn a degree. In later years, she lived in Raleigh, N.C.
In 2008, after maintaining her long silence, Mrs. Bryant sought out Dr. Tyson: She had read and liked his 2004 book, “Blood Done Sign My Name,” a nonfiction account of the murder of a young Black man by whites in North Carolina in 1970. She wanted, she told him, to explain her side of the story.In 2008, after maintaining her long silence, Mrs. Bryant sought out Dr. Tyson: She had read and liked his 2004 book, “Blood Done Sign My Name,” a nonfiction account of the murder of a young Black man by whites in North Carolina in 1970. She wanted, she told him, to explain her side of the story.
Interviewed by Dr. Tyson at her home in Raleigh, Mrs. Bryant admitted that she had lied on the stand. As for the rest of what transpired that night, the precise narrative had, with the passage of time, became unclear even to her.Interviewed by Dr. Tyson at her home in Raleigh, Mrs. Bryant admitted that she had lied on the stand. As for the rest of what transpired that night, the precise narrative had, with the passage of time, became unclear even to her.
“I want to tell you,” she told Dr. Tyson in their 2008 interview. “Honestly, I just don’t remember. It was 50 years ago.”“I want to tell you,” she told Dr. Tyson in their 2008 interview. “Honestly, I just don’t remember. It was 50 years ago.”
A list of her survivors was not immediately available.A list of her survivors was not immediately available.
A son, Roy Bryant Jr., died in 1995; another son, Frank Bryant, died in 2010. Mrs. Bryant’s sister-in-law Juanita Milam died in 2014.A son, Roy Bryant Jr., died in 1995; another son, Frank Bryant, died in 2010. Mrs. Bryant’s sister-in-law Juanita Milam died in 2014.
Emmett Till’s mother, Mamie Till Mobley, who to the end of her life publicly sought justice for her son, died in 2003.Emmett Till’s mother, Mamie Till Mobley, who to the end of her life publicly sought justice for her son, died in 2003.
In the end, Mrs. Bryant’s part in the Till case will remain ambiguous — in some aspects more benign than supposed, in others less so.In the end, Mrs. Bryant’s part in the Till case will remain ambiguous — in some aspects more benign than supposed, in others less so.
As Dr. Tyson wrote in his 2017 book, “The preponderance of evidence does tell us that almost from the moment of the incident between her and Emmett at the store on August 24, she was frightened of its escalating consequences and probably sought to avoid them.”As Dr. Tyson wrote in his 2017 book, “The preponderance of evidence does tell us that almost from the moment of the incident between her and Emmett at the store on August 24, she was frightened of its escalating consequences and probably sought to avoid them.”
In her unpublished memoir, “More Than a Wolf Whistle: The Story of Carolyn Bryant Donham,” which Mrs. Bryant wrote, in old age, with her daughter-in-law Marsha Bryant, she continued to maintain that Emmett had whistled at her. (Mrs. Bryant’s manuscript, originally embargoed at her request until 2038, was in the archives of the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill before it came to light.)In her unpublished memoir, “More Than a Wolf Whistle: The Story of Carolyn Bryant Donham,” which Mrs. Bryant wrote, in old age, with her daughter-in-law Marsha Bryant, she continued to maintain that Emmett had whistled at her. (Mrs. Bryant’s manuscript, originally embargoed at her request until 2038, was in the archives of the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill before it came to light.)
In “Simeon’s Story,” Till’s cousin Mr. Wright also recalled hearing him whistle outside the store.In “Simeon’s Story,” Till’s cousin Mr. Wright also recalled hearing him whistle outside the store.
However, as Mrs. Bryant told Dr. Tyson in 2008, “Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him.”However, as Mrs. Bryant told Dr. Tyson in 2008, “Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him.”
What Emmett may actually have done inside the Bryants’ store that day, Dr. Tyson’s book reports — drawing on news media interviews decades later with Mr. Wright and their companion Ruthie Mae Crawford (later Ruthie Mae Crawford Jackson) — was break a Jim Crow taboo of which he was almost certainly unaware:What Emmett may actually have done inside the Bryants’ store that day, Dr. Tyson’s book reports — drawing on news media interviews decades later with Mr. Wright and their companion Ruthie Mae Crawford (later Ruthie Mae Crawford Jackson) — was break a Jim Crow taboo of which he was almost certainly unaware:
Instead of placing the money for his purchase onto the store counter, they said, young Emmett Till put his two cents directly into Mrs. Bryant’s hand, in the process touching her pale white skin.Instead of placing the money for his purchase onto the store counter, they said, young Emmett Till put his two cents directly into Mrs. Bryant’s hand, in the process touching her pale white skin.
Alex Traub contributed reporting.Alex Traub contributed reporting.