It is with tremendous sadness that the Wright family confirms that our loved one, civil rights advocate and champion for the truth, Simeon Brown Wright, passed away on Monday, September 4, 2017 (Labor Day). At the age of 74, he passed away in his home in Countryside, IL, after a long battle with cancer.
He was born on October 15, 1942 in Doddsville, Mississippi. At the tender age of 12, Simeon bore witness to the horrifying kidnapping of Emmett Till in the middle of the night. Emmett was never seen alive again, making Simeon the last person to see him alive, aside from Till’s kidnappers and murderers.
With dignity and grace, he shared his haunting story with the world, never giving up the fight for justice for his cousin’s brutal murder. This life’s work, carried out with his wife Annie by his side, has been a beacon of light for freedom fighters around the world.
The funeral arrangements for Simeon Wright are as follows:
Visitation
Friday, September 15, 2017
3 pm – 8 pm
Antioch Baptist Church
7511 64th St.
Summit, IL 60501
Funeral
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Wake – 10 am
Funeral – 11 am
Monument of Faith Evangelistic Church
2750 W. Columbus Ave.
Chicago, IL 60652
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Meharry Medical College for the Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology. Meharry Medical College is an academic health sciences center that exists to improve the health and health care of minority and underserved communities by offering excellent education and training programs in the health sciences.
Donation Details:
By mail: Meharry Medical College, Attn: Gift Management Services, 1005 Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208. Make checks payable to Meharry Medical College. In the memo section: In memory of Simeon Wright.