Robert Zimmerman, Jr. has been most vocal in his support for his brother George who was acquitted mid-July of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
The younger Zimmerman took issue with comments made by Oprah Winfrey during an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, calling the media mogul “ignorant.”
“.I used to respect @Oprah but I think she’s part of the problem.. I don’t think she’s a fool, but certainly ignorant,” he wrote before posting a Bill O’Reilly ‘O’Reilly Factor” show clip.
Winfrey and Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker discussed their new film “The Butler,” but also expounded on the topic of George Zimmerman’s trial.
Winfrey likened the death of Martin to Civil Rights icon Emmett Till’s murder.
Till was a 14-year-old African American Chicago teen murdered in Mississippi in 1955 after allegedly whistling at a white woman. The teen was in the Mississippi Delta region visiting family members.
In response to Till’s actions, the woman’s husband, Roy Bryant, and his half brother J.W. Milam, retrieved the young boy and brutally tortured him.
The two gouged out Till’s eyes, tied a cotton gin fan around his neck with barbwire and threw his body in the Tallahatchie River. His body was recovered three days later.
Till’s mother held an open casket funeral for the world to see the brutal nature of her son’s murder. Bryant and Milam were brought to trial for Till’s death and later acquitted. A few months later, the two boldly admitted to killing the teen in a magazine interview. Bryant and Milam were protected by double jeopardy, which prevents a defendant from being charged with the same crime after being acquitted.
“Emmett Till became a symbol for those times as Trayvon Martin has become a symbol for this time,” Winfrey said.
Winfrey said there is a misconception about what actual racism is.
“A lot of people if they think they are not using the “N Word” themselves, they actually physically are not using the “N Word” and do not harbor ill-will towards black people that it’s not racist.
“To me, it’s ridiculous to not look at that case and not to think that race was involved,” she added.
Robert Zimmerman is accusing Winfrey of using his brother’s case to promote her film.
“.@Oprah- The way I see it, UR using my bro’s case & other “race” & other “race” claims to shamelessly promote your flop movie,” he wrote.
“The Butler” earned a reported $25.01 million in its opening weekend, according to Forbes.com.
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