Simeon's Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till

No modern tragedy has had a greater impact on race relations in America than the kidnapping and murder of Emmett Till. A 14-year-old black boy from Chicago visiting relatives in Mississippi in 1955, Till was taken from his uncle’s home by two white men; several days later, his body was found in the Tallahatchie River. This grotesque crime became the catalyst for the civil rights movement.

At age 12, author Simeon Wright saw and heard his cousin Emmett whistle at a white wo…