As previously reported by REVOLT, on Tuesday (April 25) night, Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman whose lies led to the horrific murder of Emmett Till, died from cancer. She was 88 years old and passed away in Louisiana in hospice care, the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office confirmed. The news broke today (April 27).
In 1955, Till, then 14 years old, traveled from Chicago to visit family in Mississippi for the summer. While in a local convenience store with relatives, the young boy was accused by Donham of flirting and making improper advances — something a Black person was prohibited from doing in the Deep South at the time. The white woman told her then-husband Roy Bryant, and he and his half-brother J.W. Milam kidnapped the child, severely beat him, shot him, tied a 75-pound cotton gin fan to his body and tossed him into the Tallahatchie River. The two men were acquitted by an all-white jury, and no one ever served any jail time for the murder.
Death is not justice.
An arrest warrant was issued for Carolyn Bryant Donham in August 1955 related to the murder of Emmett Till. But it was never served. Instead, she was able to live a full life to 88 years old.
Emmett Till only lived to 14 years old. This is not justice. pic.twitter.com/nwYAdGHqzv
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 27, 2023
Social media users are expressing mixed reactions to news of her passing. “I’m going fishing. It’s really nice outside today,” one person said in response to her death. Others were far more outraged. “Death is not justice. An arrest warrant was issued for Carolyn Bryant Donham in August 1955 related to the murder of Emmett Till, but it was never served. Instead, she was able to live a full life to 88 years old. Emmett Till only lived to 14 years old. This is not justice,” another tweeted. “Hell got another demon today. Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman whose lies led to the murder of Emmett Till, has died. May her soul never know peace,” another added.
Others called out media outlets for their choice of words in the matter. “The white woman at the center of the Emmett Till saga, Carolyn Bryant Donham, has died,” one Hattiesburg, Mississippi news station tweeted. “Fixed It: Lying-a** Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman who [was] never punished for causing the kidnap, torture, and murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till, is dead,” a user replied. “Carolyn Bryant Donham, whose [lies] led to the murder of Emmett Till, has died. That she did this having never been prosecuted and incarcerated for her actions attests to the resilience of American white supremacy,” another said.
See more reactions below.
Hell got another demon today. Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman whose lies led to the murder of Emmett Till has died.
May her soul never know peace
— Chuck Todd's shamble bangs (@Drea_got_rage) April 27, 2023
We smoking on that Carolyn Bryant Donham pack tonight pic.twitter.com/u6FyIZwKWQ
— Town Sheriff McLaw Dog (@ItsLinzzz_) April 27, 2023
Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman that caused the Emmett Till lynching and his death nearly 70 years ago, has died. If you remember last year the Mississippi grand jury declined to indict her in August over Till’s death. May she rot in hell…….. pic.twitter.com/X6yTN1oeym
— Kenny Akers (@KeneAkers) April 27, 2023
This is the ONLY way to respond: pic.twitter.com/Dlmtf0himg
— M.G. (@King1Nine) April 27, 2023
Terrible reality of the past. May his story never be forgotten and mark that progress has been made even though more work is needed.
— What’s so funny about peace love & understanding (@Mybookself81) April 27, 2023
Carolyn Bryant Donham dead at 88. The White woman who falsely accused & instigated brutal vicious murder & lynching of 14 yr old Emmett Till 70 yrs ago. He got no justice on earth. Her death is no justice. May hell be everything she deserves & worse.
Rest in power Emmett Till ✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/KictcRVM6g
— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) April 27, 2023
Fuckk carolyn Bryant donham https://t.co/oytfGVmDQs pic.twitter.com/mq5qHfTree
— Red (@hoodsubaru4) April 27, 2023
Carolyn Bryant Donham, whose lie led to the murder of Emmett Till, has died. That she did this having never been prosecuted and incarcerated for her actions attests to the resilience of American white supremacy.
— Tim Wise (@timjacobwise) April 27, 2023
Colonizers: Show some sympathy for the family of Carolyn Bryant Donham. That was someone's loved one who died #BlackTwitter: #EmmettTill #AntiBlackRacism #FBA $ASS #CarolynBryant #CarolynBryantDonham pic.twitter.com/KI3Cyx68ZT
— P. Against The World🤘🏿🕊 (@chillin662) April 27, 2023
An absolute tragedy that such a young boy was killed by a disgusting racist.
— Stan Feldman Ph.D (@StanFeldman2) April 27, 2023
I'm going fishing, it's really nice outside today.
— JimInTexas 🌻🌈☮️ (@JJimmbarr) April 27, 2023
Fixed It: Lying-ass Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman who never punished for causing the kidnap, torture, and murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till, is dead https://t.co/zonkA9wmJX
— Darth Ro (@BookBlerd) April 27, 2023
— MoorCrypto (@moorcryptoh) April 27, 2023
"at the center of" is an interesting way of saying "got an innocent child murdered"
— making sense of things dramaturgically (@john_bobbins) April 27, 2023
Carolyn Bryant Donham accused Emmett Till of wolf-whistling at her when he was 14 and she was 21.
Her claims lead to him being beaten, lynched and shot before his mutilated body was thrown into a river.
Her husband stood trial for murder and acquitted. https://t.co/eU1tuyTIR0— Lorraine King (@lorrainemking) April 27, 2023