Duvalier J. Malone
August 28, 2019 will markthe 64th anniversary of the lynching of Emmett Louis Till. Emmett Louis Till was a 14-year old boy from Chicago, Illinois who was visiting his family in Money, Mississippi during the summer of 1955 when he allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant Donham, a white woman. Carolyn Bryant Donham who is 85-year-old Donham has since admitted that she lied. In America, there have been events that have brought about an awareness within our society. These events would later bring about a change which directed or redirected the course of history in our society. Nineteen fifty-five was a very important year in American history. Emmett’s mother Mamie Till Mobley made a bold step by having an open-casket funeral to show the world what had happen to her son in Mississippi.
The kidnapping, torture, and murder of Emmett Louis Till changed the course of American history. This painful, ridiculous act many historians believe spark the Civil Rights Movement. The landmark case Brown vs. Board of Education was passed on May 17, 1954, which ruled that American state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional. The passing of this landmark case increased the racial tension in the deep south which was passed a year prior to the lynching of Emmett Louis Till in 1955.
These painful, ridiculous lynchings were happening in Mississippi every day in 1955, and what made this one different was the bold step of Mamie Till Mobley the mother of Emmett Louis Till of opening the casket to the world to display the type of hate that exists in heart of many in Americans in 1955.
Here we are 64 years later, and the fight for justice in the Emmett Louis Till’s case continues and remains unsolved. Has the heart of America really changed? Will there ever be justice for Emmett Louis Till? The Department of Justice announced in July of 2018 that they were reopening the investigation into the murder of Emmett Louis Till due to new information received. It’s been a year later since this announcement and the Justice Department has been silent. This silence reminds me of many lawmakers who refuse to call out racism and demand we unite as a country. So, to answer my question earlier has the heart of many in America changed? My answer is ‘No”! Our action speaks differently. This dark spot in our history is painful enough but to have our lawmakers, and Justice Department silent of this is even more painful.
Justice for Emmett Louis Till is not a black issue. This fight for justice transcends race. It’s a call for us to show the world through action that no one is above the law and justice is for all in America. No longer can we remain silent. In February of 2017, when I organized and planned the “We Demand Justice” Rally for Emmett Till to demand justice and an apology for the lie of Carolyn Bryant Donham that led to the murder of Emmett Louis Till many told me to stay silent, don’t bring up the past because some things should stay buried. I called Pastors and Community leaders from within the African American community and they refused to return my calls or join the rally. Many blacks attacked me saying the rally was a photo op and made public attacks against the rallying cry for justice. My challenge on the 64th anniversary of the death of Emmett Louis Till is that we unite, use our circles of influence to not only fight for injustices but also use our platforms, and our pupils on Sundays to tell the stories. I refuse to sit back on the 64th anniversary of Emmett Louis Till’s death and be silent. As I stated many times before his mother Mamie Till Mobley wanted the world to see what happened to her son, and we want the world to never forget it. We demand the Department of Justice to render a decision bringing justice to this civil rights case that changed the world forever.
I encourage you to write the attorney general and the Department of Justice. Tell them now is the time to render a decision to the investigation into the killing of Emmett Till.
America is currently standing on the precipice of an important moment in our civil-rights history. As the U.S. Justice Department investigates Emmett Till's murder and Carolyn Bryant Donham's confession, where she admitted that her lies caused the death of young Emmett, we must do everything in our power to make our voices known and demand that justice be done. Justice is the only way that we will truly see the racial healing that our society direly needs in this current political climate.
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Duvalier J. Malone, a native of Fayette, Miss., lives in Washington, D.C. He is the author of "Those Who Give A Damn: A Manual for Making a Difference" and is the chief executive officer and founder of Duvalier Malone Enterprises.
