Carolyn Bryant’s children are sons Lamar Bryant and Roy Bryant Jr, who are former members of the U.S. Air Force. Carolyn is the white lady who was at the center of the lynching death of Emmett Till in the 1950s.
While living in Mississippi in 1955, Carolyn Bryant claimed that Till, a young black boy, had made sexual advances on her in her family’s grocery store. This infuriated her husband, Roy Bryant Sr, and he and his half-brother (J.W. Milam) went looking for Till. They later murdered him so brutally that it reignited the flames of the civil rights movement in America.
Though Carolyn and her husband escaped any legal consequences for their action, the whole event marked their lives forever. It also impacted their offspring, but their children went on to have regular lives, albeit under the radar. Lamar Bryant and Roy Jr. both served in the U.S. Airforce and went on to get married and have kids.
Carolyn Bryant’s Oldest Child, Roy Bryant Jr, Was a Member of the U.S. Air Force
Carolyn Bryant’s oldest child is a son named Roy Bryant Jr. Roy Bryant Jr. was born on the 12th of June 1952 in the town of Indianola, Mississippi. He spent the first year of his life there before his parents relocated to another Mississippi town called Money in 1953. In Money, Roy Jr. had a regular upbringing.
However, his life trajectory was altered forever after his parents got entangled in the Emmet Till murder in 1955. Roy Jr. was just three years old at the time and didn’t understand what was going on. He was nevertheless impacted by it. For one, he followed his parents to the court during his father’s murder trial.
The whole controversy also beamed an uncomfortable spotlight on the family, and they were hounded by reporters. It was difficult for Roy Bryant Jr. to have a normal childhood, but things got easier with time. He attended school and participated in activities such as football, band, homecoming, and dating. He also developed lifelong friendships.
He Passed Away in 1995 at the Age of 43
Despite the controversial family background, Roy Bryant Jr. managed to build a normal life for himself. Upon leaving high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force. He was deployed to several foreign places such as the Philippines and left the army honorably.
Roy Bryant Jr. also got married and had three children (one daughter and two sons) with his wife. He lived a good life for several years before he passed away as a result of cystic fibroids on the 29th of September 1995. Carolyn Bryant’s eldest son was 43 years old at the time of his death, and he was later buried at the Niblett’s Bluff Cemetery in Vinton, Louisiana.
Carolyn Bryant’s Second Child, Lamar Thomas Bryant, also Served in the U.S. Air Force
Carolyn Bryant’s second child is a son named Lamar Thomas. Lamar Thomas was born in 1953 in Money, Mississippi. He was only about two years old when his parents were fingered as the arrowheads of the chains of events that led to the brutal murder of Emmett Till. His father would later be set free by the jury, but their lives were not set free from that whole controversy.
Throughout Lamar’s teenage years, the cloud of the whole controversy hung over the family. He, however, managed to move ahead with his life. Lamar Thomas attained a high school diploma and followed his elder brother in enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. He equally served on foreign land before being discharged honorably from active service.
Lamar Thomas Bryant Now Lives in North Carolina with his Family
Carolyn Bryant’s son, Lamar Thomas Bryant, now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. He works a regular job to provide for himself and his family. Lamar Thomas is married to a lady named Marsha Holley Bryant. Their marriage has lasted for several years, and they have children. Marsha is quite supportive of him and has helped him care for his aged mother.
Carolyn previously lived with them for a very long time. During this period, they showered a lot of love on her and even replaced her pet dog, which died after several years. Recent reports suggest that they have put Carolyn in a care home but remain supportive. For instance, Marsha coordinates her mother-in-law’s interaction with members of the public.
One of those was with the author, Timothy Tyson, in 2007. Tyson later claimed that Carolyn had expressly stated that her accusations of unwanted sexual advances against Emmett Till were false. Marsha, however, rebutted this and maintained that Carolyn never said such. She also joined hands with Carolyn to write her (Carolyn’s) memoir in 2008. It is titled More than a Wolf Whistle.
Carolyn Bryant’s Third Child is a Son Named Frankie Lee Bryant
Asides from Lamar and Roy Jr., Carolyn Bryant also had two more children with her then-husband, Roy Bryant Sr. Amongst them is her third child, Frank Lee Bryant. Frank Lee was born on the 19th of November 1956. This was a year after his father’s trial for the murder of Emmett Till. He grew up in places such as Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana. He got a reasonable level of education and was about 19 years old when his parents divorced in 1975.
He Died as a Result of Heart Failure in 2010
Frank Lee spent most of his life in Greenville, Mississippi. He got married as well and had kids with his wife. He also maintained close relations with his mom. For instance, when his mother divorced her third husband, David Donham, she returned to Greenville to be close to him. Also, when his mom was harassed at her home by members of a TV show, he stood up for her.
Frank Lee Bryant passed away due to heart failure on the 12th of April, 2010. He was 53 years old, and his death devastated his mom. She, however, sought solace in the fact that he was now reunited with Roy Jr. She also took strength in her faith in God.
Carolyn Bryant’s Fourth Child is a Daughter Named Carolann
Carolyn Bryant also has a daughter named Carolann from her marriage to Roy Bryant Sr. Carolann was born in 1958 and was deaf from birth. This was quite challenging, but Carolyn did her best to take care of her daughter. She learned sign language just so that they could communicate.
She also asked for primary custody of the child when she and Roy Sr. divorced so that she would be able to take care of her. All these efforts paid off. Carolann attended the Louisiana School for the Deaf. She also attended high school and got a job. She eventually married her high school sweetheart and lived in Jackson, Mississippi, for several years.
Key Facts About Carolyn Bryant Donham’s Children
- Who are Carolyn Bryant Donham’s children? Carolyn Bryant Donham has two children: Lamar Bryant and Roy Bryant Jr.
- Who was Carolyn Bryant Donham? Carolyn Bryant Donham was the woman whose accusation led to the 1955 lynching of Black teen Emmett Till in Mississippi. Her testimony against Till resulted in a brutal act by her then-husband, Roy Bryant, and another man, J.W. Milam.
- Did Carolyn Bryant Donham recant her testimony against Emmett Till? Yes, in 2008, Carolyn Bryant Donham reportedly recanted part of her testimony in an interview with professor Timothy Tyson. She claimed that Emmett Till had not grabbed her hand and waist or propositioned her, contrary to her earlier statements.
- What was the outcome of the trial for Emmett Till’s murder? The trial ended with the acquittal of Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam by an all-White jury. However, both men later confessed to the murder in a 1956 interview with Look magazine.
- How did the Bryant family live during the 1955 incident? At the time of Emmett Till’s killing, Carolyn Bryant Donham, her husband Roy Bryant, and their two sons, Lamar Bryant and Roy Bryant Jr., lived in rooms at the back of their family-run grocery store, Bryant’s Grocery & Meat Market.
- Were there any attempts to indict Carolyn Bryant Donham? Yes, a grand jury in Mississippi considered evidence and testimony regarding Carolyn Bryant Donham’s involvement in the kidnapping and death of Till but found insufficient evidence to indict her on kidnapping and manslaughter charges.
- Where does Carolyn Bryant Donham live now? As of 2022, Carolyn Bryant Donham lives with her son, Lamar Thomas Bryant, in Kentucky, where she is receiving end-of-life hospice care. She is 88 years old.
- What business did the Bryant family run? The Bryant family ran a small grocery store called Bryant’s Grocery & Meat Market. They lived in two small rooms at the back of the store.
- What is the current health condition of Carolyn Bryant Donham? Carolyn Bryant Donham is battling cancer and receiving hospice care. She is on oxygen and living with her son, Lamar Thomas Bryant, in Kentucky.
- Did the authorities try to arrest Carolyn Bryant Donham? Yes, an arrest warrant was issued but went unserved along with other revelations that came to light in her unpublished memoir.
- What did Carolyn Bryant Donham do after the incident with Emmett Till? It is not clear what Carolyn Bryant Donham did immediately after the incident. However, she eventually moved to Kentucky, where she now lives with her son, Lamar Thomas Bryant.
- How did the incident with Emmett Till impact Carolyn Bryant Donham’s children? There isn’t detailed information on how the incident with Emm
