The only person still alive who saw Emmett Till being abducted in Mississippi in 1955 is Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr., age 83.
The 14-year-old African-American boy from Chicago named Emmett Till was kidnapped and killed after being accused of making out with a young white woman.
And today, on August 10, 2022, the grand jury in Mississippi had the opportunity to bring the white woman who had accused Till to justice, but they chose not to do so.
Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr. criticized the jury’s verdict as disappointing but expected in a statement to CBS News.
So even 67 years later, the Till family is still seeking justice for their little son, who they claim did not perish in vain because Emmett’s murder served as a catalyst for the modern civil rights struggle.
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Who Is Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr? His Wikipedia Bio
Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr. is Emmett Till’s relative. Parker traveled to Chicago after seven years of living in Slaughter, Mississippi, where he was born in 1939.
Since 1993, he has been the pastor of the Argo Temple Church of God in Christ. Cousins Wheeler and Till went to Mississippi to see their grandfather.
It was claimed that Till whistled at Carolyn Bryant while she was shopping for chocolates at the Bryant Grocery and Meat Market in Money, Mississippi.
Parker was present when Till was kidnapped from his great-house uncle’s four days later at gunpoint, and his body was soon discovered in the Tallahatchie River.
Wheeler Parker has visited numerous universities around the nation since the tragedy to speak about what happened that night and how he survived.
He wants young people to speak out against racism, make a difference, and prevent another incident like the one with Emmett.
Where Is Emmett Till Cousin Now?
In Summit, Illinois, Wheeler Parker Jr. resides with his wife and family. Over the past 29 years, he has served as a pastor. As an Associate Minister from 1977 through 1992, Parker accepted his call to the ministry.
Summit Part has a basketball court named in his honor. The Summit Chamber of Commerce also named him Citizen of the Year.
In Summit Community Task Force, an Inter-Faith nonprofit community-based organization, he spent ten years as chairman of the board of directors.
How Old Is Wheeler Parker? Is He Still Alive?
Parker, who is 83 years old and resides in Summit, Illinois, enjoys a comfortable existence. When Wheeler Parker, then 16 years old, saw his cousin being dragged away by a bunch of guys holding guns, he was only 16.
It took ten years after that occurrence for him to be able to return to Mississippi. Parker graduated from ACHS in 1958 after participating in marching bands, playing basketball, and watching football.
He studied at Molar Barber College and earned a degree in modern photography in 1959. Following that, Parker enrolled at Moraine Valley Community College. Parker was a medical specialist for the US Army for two years.
Family Of Wheeler Parker: His Children Info
It is unknown if Wheeler Parker and Dr. Marvel McCain Parker had any children. The couple wed in 1967.
McCain Parker received a Bachelor of Arts from Illinois University.
The couple has been married for 55 years and has visited several nations, including Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, Egypt, Israel, Italy, France, and Switzerland.
