Marcellus Williams‘ sister took to TikTok with a powerful message, responding to a user questioning Kamala Harris‘ support for the Black community in light of her brother’s execution. Williams, who was executed by lethal injection for a 1998 murder despite significant opposition and questions surrounding his guilt, has become a symbol of the flawed justice system.
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The video opens with Williams’ sister addressing the misinformation being spread online, particularly by Black TikTokers. “Good morning. I am actually speaking to you from the state of Missouri, the state that murdered my brother Marcellus Williams,” she begins. Clearly frustrated, she expresses her exhaustion over seeing people spread falsehoods about her brother’s case, ultimately aiding white supremacists.
She calls out the irony of those criticizing Kamala Harris while supporting Trump. “If you have Trump 2024 in your hashtags, please do not lecture us about Black Lives Matter,” she says, pointing out how Trump himself has a history of targeting Black people, referring to his infamous role in the Central Park Five case.
“This shouldn’t even be about Kamala nor should it be about Trump, but you’re making it about it,” she continues. “Black lives are not political pawn chips for you all to get clicks on here.” She shifts focus to the real issue at hand: motivating the Black community to take meaningful action, especially when it comes to voting.
She emphasizes the importance of participating in every election, no matter how small, because those in power were voted in by “extremists” who show up for every single vote. “If you want meaningful change in Missouri, the first thing you all need to do is stop sitting out elections and saying voting doesn’t matter,” she urges. She reminds viewers that her brother’s execution was facilitated by officials who were elected into office.
Williams’ sister then lays out specific steps for Missouri residents, urging them to vote for Attorney General candidate Elad Gross and gubernatorial candidate Crystal Quaid. “Our current Attorney General, Andrew Bailey, helped murder our brother by resisting any way for evidence to come to surface,” she says, highlighting the need for change.
“Missouri has been hijacked by extremists because first of all we don’t understand how the system works,” she explains, calling out those who spread misinformation as being part of the problem. “They have no idea how their system works so they get on TikTok and pontificate and add to the white supremacy.”
Her frustration is palpable as she implores Black TikTokers to stop undermining their own community. “How do your own people get online and lynch their own folks? In ignorance. It’s beyond me,” she says, before wrapping up with a call to action: “Register to vote. The deadline is October 9th. Make sure you have proper ID because they will be cheating this time around because when they are afraid they cheat.”
She urges the community to focus on the real fight. “Governor Attorney General Andrew Bailey helped murder our brother Marcellus Williams and you can vote him out of office in November coming up,” she states, emphasizing the power of the vote in bringing about change.
“Let’s stop all this bickering on TikTok. Talk about what Kamala Harris could have done. What you can do,” she concludes. With a final message of love and encouragement, she promises to continue speaking out and advocating for change. “We’ve been muelling too long for that and I’ll be making more videos. I love you all.”
Marcellus Williams’ execution has raised serious questions about the justice system in Missouri, with DNA evidence failing to link him to the crime scene. Despite this, the state moved forward with the execution, prompting backlash from both the prosecution and the victim’s family. Now, his sister is fighting for justice not just for her brother, but for all Black people in Missouri, by urging them to exercise their right to vote and make their voices heard.
