Black people, whether American, Caribbean, and African, except for some who have been raised in the spirit of rebellion for time immemorial, were greatly conditioned to bow down to their oppressors, and not to seek justice. This cowardice is taught since it follows the consequences of historical trauma. Indeed, black people were conceived and raised in rather reclusive environments where the fear of the outside prevails as a consequence of history. There, the least element which could mark a disturbance in the lineage is barely evoked. A young black girl who was once abused by an uncle or cousin will be forced to remain isilent, so as not to cause a fuss in the family.
This silence contributes, to the eyes of the parents, to the preservation of a certain harmony within a group living in constant social, political pressure and in a undesired space, which is white and Western. This programming of the black minds in most black households, not only lead to cowardice, but also to eternal submission. And since black kids were never taught about independence from their parents whose mentality are more burdensome than anything else, the children always want to reproduce the failed system of their elders. Therefore, the black sphere they evolve into, though located in the West, is totally cut off from the reality and opportunities of Western society when it comes to the possibility of finding groups of counselling outside of the family sphere.
The white institutions, through their systemic racism, managed to create, within the black families, sources of social failures; the black man is not submitted, he is bred and has been bred for the past four centuries.
If yersterday’s announcement regarding the death of Jerry Springler warmed the hearts of many, the passing of Carolyn Bryant today is a source of anger for many black Americans. In 1955, Mississippi, the lie of this woman who falsely accused a fourteen year old teenager, Emmett Till, of sexual harassment, led to the horrific lynching of the child whose face was unrecognisable. In the racist system of the south, the culprits were freed, and Carolyn Bryant was never prosecuted.
Then, time went by. A decade, then two, three, four and five passed before some action were taken by the younger generations. Indeed, last year in 2022, a lost arrest warrant which dated back to August 29th, 1955. The document was placed in a box which had been kept for decades. After this discovery, actions were taken by the new black associations in order to bring justice to Emmett Till. But it was too late. Bryant passed away yersterday from cancer at eighty-eight years old. She not only got to live a long life, but she never faced justice on this earth at all, when she could have.
Once again, upon the announcement of her death, black social media users and other performative activists, displayed their anger and joy at the same time. As usual, the Blacks spoke about “white privilege” to explain the fate of the lady.
In this constant circus, one should realize one thing important. Carolyn Bryant managed to contribute to the assassination of this young boy for two reasons: she knew about the constant submission of Black people towards the Whites (let us not forget that Emmett Till’s uncle never protected him as he handled him to Bryant’s husband and brother-in-law), and she also was aware of the fact that the white institutions would protect her. In reality, it is the silence, indoctrination and firm belief of black people in the idea of “letting go” while facing violence and injustice which lead to the supremacy of the white institutions. When other communities get attacked, they retaliate, but the Blacks either call for forgiveness or even pray for them. Black people, whether African, Caribbean and Black American, keep enduring this suffering and historical dysfunction because of their own actions. They live by the emotions, and even when they pretend to rebel, their rebellion is limited to a performative activism.
The manipulation of black groups, when it comes to politics, comes from their way of presenting themselves as the perpetual victims. By maintaining such thoughts, they not only crush the hope of the younger black generations who want to change their society but they also nurture the false idea that nothing can be changed at all. And that the future is rooted in chaos simply for being born black. This characteristic is reinforced by their constant attack upon others, even when such attacks are justified. White institutions are responsible for black chaos, but the trauma of history has been used by the black group to justify their lethargy, fear, cowardice in fighting with efficiency against their oppressors. If Emmett Till’s uncle cowardice was justified by his fear of white brutality, the existence of Nat Turners, Queen Nannies, Marroon societies in the US, the Caribbean and South America, proved that this cowardice was a choice, especially when women and men, like Harriet Tubman, always gave their lives and resisted against the violence of the white institutions.
Since the beginning of the slave trade, nothing in the black societies living in the West was rebuilt, as if carrying this suffering through the glamourous exploitation of historical trauma became a trend. The four hundred years of slavery itself never encouraged them to organize the greatest revolution in the West, for having been bred in and fed fear for generations. Yet, whether in the US, the Caribbean or Western Europe, the center of interest of the Blacks is always entertainment, by choice.
In reality, throughout the generations, the black political icons in the West who fought and called for a change always constitute a minority. The books of Frantz Fanon, W.E.B. DuBois, or even Toni Morrisson are always read and appreciated by a minority of black people, but also preserved, thought about and appreciated by a great majority of Whites, while the great majority of Blacks remain in the sphere of entertainment on purpose, by choice. Therefore, the lethargy and stagnation the black communities from the West go through have to do with the uselessness of the black majority whose members are only turned to consumerism and entertainment. It is also worth noting that a good portion of the most important legends in black revolution in the West and in the Americas were mixed-race, hence a racial dilution they have inherited from the slave trade and which did not please them.
Emmett Till is not the only one to have had his oppressor walk free: LaTasha Harlins was remembered simply because Tupac, a very socially engaged man, shouted out her name. Yet, in this case of white supremacy through the hand of an Asian Korean woman known as Sun Ju Da, no Black group attempted to send the woman to court. The revelation regarding the implication of Paddy Duke, born Pasquale Raucci, in the murder of Yusuf Hawkins led to the anger of black social media users, but has been done to Raucci through the power of law? Nothing.
These black writers and intellectuals always constitute a minority and their existence reveals the void which is the black Western sphere as a whole. They are suspended, waiting for a savior or new institutions to deliver them from their sorrow, when in reality, the latter have to work on themselves to reach such level. Yet, if they never question themselves and their mediocrity, the black Westerners are the first to blame other communities which advance much more than them.
The white Jews of Ashkenazi roots still have not forgotten the millions of deaths caused by the Nazi institutions. This episode which lasted five years, left psychological and genetic impact within the generations which followed, so much so that cases of autism are frequent in these communities where their ancestors are Holocaust survivors. The Jewish community managed to organize political structures and tracked down each and every German officer responsible for the murder of Jews. Whether the former officers suffer from Alzheimer or not, whether able to say their names or not, the culprits will be sent to the Hague. The Jewish community is so adamant about persecuting their oppressors as the five years of Holocaust were enough to make them understand that many hated them. This constant pressure of Jewish lobbying is also a way for them to protect themselves as a defensive league in case any other crime would take place.
If the Jews understood it after five years of struggle, what could be said about the Afro descendants who, following the five centuries, do not fear the institutions which placed them into slavery for five centuries.
The lethargy in black people is even present in Africa. Where the violence endured is drowned into the culture of music, dance and entertainment. The black population want us to think that their misery is the heritage of white and Arab abuse only, when in reality, the Blacks who refuse to question themselves contribute to their own demise.
This demise explains why the work of research led by black Caribbean, African and black American scholars regarding the slave trade, colonialism and their impact on genetics, are never shared, read or learned by the majority of the Blacks. Once again, only a minority of black people read them and understand the horror of our shared history.
Black Americans, whether wealthy or not, had fifty years to prosecute Carolyn Bryant. They could have revolted, tracked her down, orchestrate riots, look for evidence. Black celebrities/colonized agents, could have sent some money to help reopen the case. In five decades, the black Americans who pretend to cry over Emmett Till, did abandon him twice, never stood up for him until recently, thanks to the new generation, but this revolt happened way too late.
Black people are the first to crush their own legacy, and they are responsible for Carolyn Bryant’s freedom. They allowed it. And no message of hatred shared on social media will change that.
Because of black people’s inactions which protected her, Bryant still had the thought of writing her memoirs. She declared that the book should only be published after her death. She expressed who she really was, a coward who never faced her actions on this earth, but will have to deal with beyond.
Carolyn Bryant is not a victim, and not a liar. She is a child murderer who killed Emmett Till through the monstruous hands of her husband.
By Victoria “VKY” Kabeya, All Rights Reserved 2023
[1]Thomson, Helen “Study of Holocaust survivors finds trauma passed on to children’s genes”, The Guardian, 2015 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/21/study-of-holocaust-survivors-finds-trauma-passed-on-to-childrens-genes
[2] “Arrest warrant for woman who accused Emmett Till found nearly 70 years later in court basement”, CBSNews, 2022, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/emmett-till-accuser-carolyn-bryant-donham-arrest-warrant-found-1955-kidnapping/
[3] Geiger, Dorian, “Hot 97 Fires Radio Producer Paddy Duke For Involvement In 1989 Mob Killing Of Yusuf Hawkins”, Oxygen, August 26th, 2020, https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/pasquale-paddy-duke-raucci-fired-by-hot-97-for-ties-to-yusuf-hawkins-killing
[4] Watson, Elijah, “Carolyn Bryant Donham Does Not Deserve Our Forgiveness”, OkayPlayer, 2017 https://www.okayplayer.com/news/carolyn-bryant-donham-does-not-deserve-our-forgiveness.html
[5] Benson, Christopher “Eyewitness Account: Emmett Till’s cousin Simeon Wright seeks to set the record straight”, ChicagoMag, December 18th, 2009, https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/january-2010/eyewitness-account-emmett-tills-cousin-simeon-wright-seeks-to-set-the-record-straight/
[6] Tinsley, Justin, “Tupac said her name”, ANDSCAPE, June 16th, 2016 https://andscape.com/features/tupac-shakur-latasha-harlins-songs/
VKY 