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The Daily Insight

What Happened To Moses Wright? Emmett Till Uncle Story & Family Facts

Author

Natalie Ross

Published Feb 16, 2026

In the series Women Of The Movement, Moses Wright, portrayed by American actor Glynn Turman, is introduced as Emmett Till’s great-uncle. Learn more about Moses from this article.

After his family moved to the Chicago suburbs in the mid-1950s, Wright became a nightclub custodian after working as a sharecropper and circuit preacher.

What Happened To Moses Wright? Emmett Till Uncle Story

When Emmet Till was suspected of flirting with Carolyn Bryant, a white lady, he was staying at Moses Wright’s residence.

Roy and Milam, Carolyn’s husband and brother-in-law, kidnapped Emmet a few nights after the allegations were made.

Emmet’s cousins and Moses were also present when he was kidnapped. Moses pleaded with the kidnappers to release Emmett. They, on the other hand, ignored his pleadings and threatened him. “You’ll never live to be 65 if you cause any trouble,” they warned.

Wright left for Chicago after the trial because he could sense the “blood-boil” of the audience. He returned to Mississippi to testify before a grand jury for the last time. However, no charges were filed against him, and he returned to Chicago.

Moses Wright Family

Moses Wright’s family includes parents and siblings.

He is the son of William Wright as a father, and his mother’s details are still unknown. He is the brother of Mary Wright, Martha Wright, Willie Wright, and Jackson Wright.

William is known as “Billy,” born in March 1865 in Mississippi, United States.

Mary was born in February in the year 1885. Martha was born in April in the year 1887. In April 1889, Willie was born. In February of 1893, Jackson was born.

Who Is Moses Wright Wife?

Moses Wright’s wife’s name is Elizabeth Wade Wright. Elizabeth was born on July 17, 1900.

Her birthplace is Spencer, Copiah, United States. Wade is the daughter of George Smith, who was born in the year 1872, and Lillie Smith, who was born in 1879.

She has a sister named Alma Spearman, born on January 24, 1902.

Moses Wright Children

Moses Wright has two children, Simeon and Thelma Wright.

The internet has not revealed any information about Moses’s daughter, Thelma Wright.

After Emmett Till’s body was found in the Tallahatchie River, Simeon Wright, Moses Wright’s son, identified his cousin’s ring for the authorities.

According to The New York Times, Simeon Wright also submitted a sample of his DNA to aid federal authorities to prove the mangled body was Emmett’s.

Moses Wright’s son, who was 12 at the time of Till’s murder, died in a Chicago suburb in 2017 at the age of 74 from complications related to bone cancer.

Meet Moses Wright On Instagram

Moses Wright does not appear to have a profile on Instagram.

There are numerous accounts with the name Moses Wright, but we could not locate his account.

His family may have removed his Instagram account after he died.