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Emmett Till Investigation Reopened by the Department of Justice

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The Department of Justice is reopening the investigation into the murder of Emmett Till. Till was  abducted and killed in August 1955 by two white men for allegedly making an inappropriate remark to a white woman. The case is considered one of the most vicious examples of racism in America and marked a turning point in the nation’s attitude toward racial injustice when Till’s mother, Mamie Till , allowed his mutilated body to be viewed in an open coffin at his funeral.

“This one really caught me off-guard, and it’s caught a lot of people off guard,” says, Dr. Ray Winbush, Director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State .

. “If we believe what Dr. King says about the arc of the moral universe, sometimes, it’s short…sometimes, it’s long. His mother has died, and he died at 14, but justice is still due.”

Two white men were acquitted of killing Till and later confessed to having committed the crime. Both are now dead.

According to a report the Justice Department submitted to Congress in March, the decision to revisit the case was “based upon the discovery of new information.” In what is believed to be her only interview, the woman whose allegations led to Till’s death spoke with a Duke University professor who wrote the book “The Blood of Emmett Till” released in 2017. Carolyn Bryant Donham told the author that what she alleged about the 14-year-old grabbing her and conducting himself in a sexually crude manner toward her “that part is not true.”

Rev. Dr. William Barber, social justice activist and national co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, says, “63 years ago, Emmett Till was snatched from his mother by the human predators of white supremacy. He was killed brutally by some who were connected to the supposed law enforcement in Mississippi. If there is any new evidence to bring forth full justice and penalties for the crimes, the case should be reopened.”

Donham has remained hidden from public view for decades, and at this point, she is in her eighties. Dr. Winbush says, “If the punishment points to Donham, I think she should be punished.”

As the news circulated of a reopened investigation, skeptics questioned the timing and the motives of the DOJ with Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the helm.

“I think there’s an attempt by the Trump administration to win African Americans’ votes,” says Dr. Winbush. “They’re talking about pardoning Marcus Garvey and posthumously pardoned Jack Johnson . Those three figures are deeply embedded in our community. I think there is more going on here than meets the eye, and it’s ironic that it’s happening under one of the most racist presidents in recent memory.”

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Trump Signs Executive Orders That Will Impact HBCUs and Black Schoolchildren

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and establish a White House Initiative on HBCUs to “deliver high-quality education to a growing number of students.”

According to the White House, the Initiative will help develop private-sector partnerships, institutional development and workforce preparation in technology, health care, manufacturing and finance. 

The president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Dr. Harry L. Williams said, “Today’s executive order serves as strong reaffirmation of President Trump’s support of investment of historically Black colleges and universities. This executive order should serve as a call-to-action for corporations, foundations, members of Congress and state lawmakers to redouble their efforts to support HBCUs and their students. TMCF looks forward to continued engagement with the administration and Congress to deliver results for HBCUs and the students they serve via appropriations and other legislative actions.”

On the same day, Trump signed another executive order that removes safeguards for African American schoolchildren by eliminating an Obama-era initiative to protect Black schoolchildren from excessive disciplinary action.

During the Obama administration, the first Black president’s administration created guidelines that sought to prevent school discipline from having a disproportionate effect on minority students. Trump revoked the civil rights initiative during his first term and Biden did not formally restore it. 

At his signing today, Trump said his decision was especially important to the current Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who held the signed order.

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, schools were forced to consider equity and inclusion when imposing discipline,” McMahon said in a statement. “Their policies placed racial equity quotas over student safety – encouraging schools to turn a blind eye to poor or violent behavior in the name of inclusion.”

She added, “Disciplinary decisions should be based solely on students’ behavior and actions.

Studies show that Black students are punished more often than their white counterparts.

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President Jimmy Carter Appointed the First Black Woman to Lead a Federal Agency

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President Jimmy Carter advanced opportunities for African Americans throughout his life,
advocating for justice and peace consistent with the Christian values he embraced. Since his
death on December 29 at age 100, Mr. Carter’s praises have been sung from his home state of
Georgia to points around the globe. And while the former president’s one-term in the White
House is dismissed by some political pundits for a lack of policies or accomplishments that
changed the course of history, his character and integrity set him apart.


Carter became the first president to appoint a Black woman head of a federal agency. He chose
Patricia Roberts Harris to lead the Housing and Urban Development when he took office in
1977.


Harris said, “I feel deeply proud and grateful this President chose me to knock down this barrier, but also a little sad about being the ‘first Negro woman,’ because it implies we were not
considered before.”


Senator William Proxmire questioned Carter’s choice, saying Harris came from too much wealth and influence to be an effective leader. But Carter stood by his decision, and Harris stayed in the position for two years.


The 39th president’s name is also included on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.


Civil rights activist, Rev. Al Sharpton recalled a conversation he shared with Carter.


“It was very significant, I was talking there at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, and I was talking to President Clinton and President Carter,” Sharpton recalled. “And when Clinton and I finished talking, President Carter touched me on my arm and said, ‘How are you doing with your ministry, Al? I see you out there with your activism. Don’t leave your ministry … keep your prayer life going.’ And you could tell he sincerely meant it. He was not one who talked about his religion as a political kind of something you could say to voters.”


President Joe Biden declared January 9, 2025, a national day of mourning. Millions watched the former president’s funeral on television as he was remembered as a man of honesty,
compassion and faith – which included championing the rights of Americans who knew firsthand the struggle of injustice

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The Congressional Black Caucus Prepares for “Important” Work

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The Congressional Black Caucus started the 119th Congress with its largest membership. There were 62 members sworn in today.

“On behalf of the entire Congressional Black Caucus, congratulations to the members of the Executive Committee of the 119th Congress. 53 years after our Caucus’ founding, our work to improve the lives and conditions of Black people in America is more important than ever before,” said CBC President Steven Horsford.

Photo Credit: Ron Busby, U.S. Black Chambers Inc.

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