A relative of Emmett Till has shared insights into the racially motivated attack that led to the teenager’s horrific death.
Emmett Till’s murder became a pivotal event in the civil rights movement back in 1955.
At just 14, Till was falsely accused of whistling at a white woman, Carolyn Bryant Donham, during a visit to the Bryant store while staying with relatives in Mississippi.
There is ongoing debate regarding how much Donham exaggerated or fabricated about the incident.
Till was subsequently abducted from his home, lynched, and his body was discarded in the Tallahatchie River.
Donham’s accusations led her brother-in-law, JW Milam, and her husband, Roy Bryant, to seek retribution.
Bryant and Milam faced charges for Till’s murder but were acquitted by an all-white male jury. The case, along with the men’s acquittal, garnered national attention and continues to underscore the brutality of the Jim Crow South and its significance to the civil rights movement.
Wheeler Parker, now 86, was 16 at the time and present when Till was taken from their home.
During the 70th anniversary commemoration of Emmett Till at Mississippi Valley State University on August 29, Parker recounted the events.
In an interview with the Mirror US, he described how armed white men burst into his room asking, “who’s the n***** who did the talking?” while brandishing a gun.
Parker shared, “I was so scared that I closed my eyes and prayed I wouldn’t get shot.”
In the adjacent room, he witnessed Till being found, dragged from bed, and taken away into the night.
He remains haunted by the events, especially remembering Till’s fear contrasted with the men’s emotionless demeanor.
Parker also mentioned how he and Till’s mother attempted to warn Emmett about the perils of the Jim Crow South, which he didn’t fully comprehend.
He further remarked on the impact of the murder and the widespread shock it caused.
“I tell people, Emmett was not the first person that suffered at the hands of Southerners,” he shared.
“However, as fate would have it, this story took a wild turn. It spread everywhere. Additionally, the white people were not accustomed to stories spreading in this manner.“
Years following, Milam and Bryant confessed to the murder in a magazine interview, but due to legal constraints, they could not be tried again.