Historian Timothy Tyson Talks The Blood of Emmett Till

'There have been many unknowns in the death of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Chicago boy who was brutally beaten, bludgeoned and executed after allegedly flirting with a white woman while visiting relatives in Mississippi in the summer of 1955. What we do know now, is that Carolyn Bryant Donham, the woman who accused Till of wrongdoing, lied in the courtroom about what happened that day.In his new book The Blood of Emmett Till, author Timothy Tyson says Donham admitted that she did not tell the truth when she testified that Till had grabbed and verbally threatened her. The book examines how the culture of white supremacy in Mississippi at the time perpetuated similar acts throughout the state where falsehoods imperiled democracy.  It also highlights the courage of Till's family to take a stand and help expose the truth behind the lies.' +WNYC