LITTLE ROCK — Nearly 300 people turned out to see civil rights figure and author Simeon Wright, cousin of slain Chicago teen Emmett Till, during his appearance Feb. 1 at William F. Laman Public Library in North Little Rock.
A catered dinner of barbecued beef brisket and pork; baked beans; potatosalad; and fried pies was provided by Lindsey’s Hospitality House. Copies of Wright’s book, Simeon’s Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till (ChicagoReview Press; $12.95), were available for purchase and signing.
In 1955, 12-year-old Simeon was sleeping in the same bed with Emmett in the Wrights’ home in Money, Miss., when Emmett was kidnapped - and subsequently tortured and murdered - for whistling at a white woman at a store. The crime drew national attention to the plight of blacks in the Jim Crow-segregated South and, as thebook’s description suggests, “became the catalyst for the civil rights movement.”
Introduced by state Rep. Eddie Armstrong III of North Little Rock, Wright spoke fondly of his cousin as a young man who was “inquisitive,” “fun to be around” and “felt thateveryone was happy just like he was.”
“But he arrived in Mississippi at a bad time,” Wright continued, recounting the event and his family’s struggle to come to grips with the tragedy.
After Wright’s speech, he was presented with an Arkansas Traveler certificate by library director Jeff Baskin.
Wright’s visit was in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Humanities’ traveling exhibit, “For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights,” which is at the library through March 16.
High Profile, Pages 36 on 02/10/2013