Emmett Till's family says 'white pedestal' theory has denied them justice for decades

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July 14th, 2022

In this Sept. 22. 1955 photo, Carolyn Bryant rests her head on her husband Roy Bryant's shoulder after she testified in Emmett Till murder court case in Sumner, Miss. A team searching the basement of a Mississippi courthouse for evidence about the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till has found the unserved warrant charging a white woman in his kidnapping in 1955, and relatives of the victim want authorities to finally arrest her nearly 70 years later. (AP Photo, File)

The family of murdered teenager Emmett Till is calling for a grand jury hearing to examine a woman accused of playing a key role in his lynching in 1955, saying a “white pedestal theory” has denied them justice for decades.

An arrest warrant for Carolyn Bryant Donham, dated Aug. 29, 1955, was found last month in the basement of a Mississippi courthouse and has renewed calls for authorities to take action on the decades-old case.

“We considered it to be somewhat miraculous,” said Jaribu Hill, who represents the family of Emmett Till. “All of the officials had been telling us that if there was a warrant, they didn’t know of its present existence.”

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