Carolyn Bryant Donham was the woman who accused 14-year-old Emmett Till of propositioning her, leading to his 1955 lynching.
- Died: April 25, 2023 (Who else died on April 25?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 88.
Carolyn Bryant Donham’s legacy
Donham was at the center of the horrific lynching that became a galvanizing force in the civil rights movement. On August 24, 1955, the 14-year-old Till, who had traveled from Chicago to visit family in Mississippi, went to Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market, where Donham was working. Witnesses outside said Till wolf-whistled – possibly at Donham, but possibly at people playing checkers nearby. Donham claimed that once Till came in the store, he also grabbed her waist and repeatedly propositioned her. Several days later, her husband and his half-brother abducted, tortured, and murdered Till.
Till’s killers were acquitted in a 1955 trial by an all-white jury. Donham testified at the trial, repeating her claims that he grabbed her and saying she was frightened by his advances. She allegedly later said she had made up parts of that testimony. Several times in the 21st century, including as recently as 2022, new investigations of the case were opened. Donham was scrutinized each time, but ultimately she was not charged for her role in Till’s murder.
Full obituary: The New York Times
