Emmett Till’s cousin to run for Senate in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (VDN)—A cousin of Emmett Till and founder of the Emmett Till Justice for Families Foundation, Priscilla Williams Till, announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in Mississippi’s 2026 election.

Emmett Till was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman in the segregated South. Till’s mother ordered that his brutalized young body be shown in an open casket so the world could see what the men in Mississippi had done to her son. Emmett Till would be 84 today if he had lived.

Priscilla Till said she is entering the race to promote social justice and civil rights protections. On her website, she says, “My reason for running for United Senator 2026 I am running for United States Senator to help shape and enact laws that promote social justice and Civil Rights protections at a National level in Mississippi that will address historical and ongoing inequalities, while representing marginalized communities that work towards an equitable society. Also, to ensure that the perspectives and needs of our communities are represented with the federal government contributing to a more inclusive political dialogue.”

Till highlighted her family connection to Emmett Till, whose 1955 murder in Mississippi was a major event in the civil rights movement. She said her advocacy work has been shaped by that legacy and by her role leading a foundation focused on federal accountability in hate crimes and racial justice cases.

The Mississippi Senate election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. Party primaries are set for March 10, 2026.