Emmett till mother

Early Years

Emmett Louis Till was born on July 25, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois, the only child of Louis and Mamie Till. Till never knew his father, a private in the United States Army during World War II.

Emmett Till’s mother was by all accounts an extraordinary woman.

While raising Emmett Till as a single mother, she worked long hours for the Air Force as a clerk in charge of secret and confidential files.

With his mother often working more than 12-hour days, Till took on his full share of domestic responsibilities from a very young age.

His mother recalls, “Emmett had all the house responsibility.

Where was emmett till found

I mean everything was really on his shoulders, and Emmett took it upon himself. He told me if I would work, and make the money, he would take care of everything else. He cleaned, and he cooked quite a bit. And he even took over the laundry.”

Carolyn Bryant

In August 1955, Till’s great uncle Moses Wright came up from Mississippi to visit the family in Chicago.

At the end of his stay, W