Oprah Tells Dr. Oz the Derek Chauvin Trial Caused Her to Think of Emmett Till
Oprah Winfrey said the night before the Derek Chauvin trial, she had a dream of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Chicago boy, tortured and lynched in 1955 in Money, Mississippi, for allegedly whistling at a white woman. That woman, Carolyn Bryant, has since recanted her story that caused her husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother J.W. Milam to kidnap and kill Till.
An all-white jury acquitted Roy and J.W. them five days after the start of the trial. Carolyn Bryant was never held accountable.
Winfrey sat for an interview with Dr. Memet Oz for an upcoming episode of his show and recounted her dream. Page Six reports that she said, "we were all on a bus together, and the bus blew up." She continued, "And so I wake in that morning like, what does that mean? And does that mean this whole trial is going to blow up…?"
Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. The shockingly rare instance of a white police officer being held accountable for killing a Black man. Floyd's death sparked worldwide protests against police brutality. Despite the video that showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes, there was concern that there would be no conviction.
Page Six reports that Winfrey told Oz watching the verdict caused her to become emotional. "I started to tear up, and I asked myself, 'Where is this emotion coming from?' And I was having … flashbacks of Till and all the names that we've heard protesters speak for."
It seems that Winfrey rested well after the verdict came down. She said in the interview, "So I went to bed thinking about Emmett Till and the fact that he never received justice. And this moment was a sacrifice for all of the people who didn't receive justice."
Chauvin remains imprisoned until his sentencing in June.
