Of god's creatures,
the nearest thing to an angelic being,
is a well-bred southern woman
or her blue-eyed, golden-haired little girl.
This is why we can't put little boys
and little girls together,
negroes and whites,
and have them sing together,
play together, dance together, eat together.
You cannot do this and then expect the sensitivity
of those white children not to be broken down.
[ crowd shouting "no!" ] you can't do it!
By abolishing school segregation,
the supreme court has set aside
all the laws of eugenics and biology created by god.
If trouble is to come, we can predict how it will start --
the glib young negro who sojourned in chicago
or new york will perform an obscene act,
or make an obscene remark,
or assault on some white girl, for they will reason,
"has not the supreme court abolished segregation?
Would the federal government
not protect us?" [ crowd shouting "no!" ]
this is the reasoning which produces riots
and bloodshed, raping, and revolutions.
[ cheers and applause ]
♪♪
[ indistinct conversations ]
[ solemn music plays ]
♪♪
we'll begin closing arguments momentarily.
How many do you think they turned?
At this point, does it even matter?
You're damn right it does. The defense played dirty.
They knew that if the judge let carolyn
take the stand, her story would get to the jury.
It didn't matter if he ruled it inadmissible or not.
Well, what'd you expect?
Everyone knows breland ranks high in the citizens' council.
Well, it's not like I haven't seen one before,
but burning crosses usually aren't directed at folks
who look like us. Hmph.
[ sighs ]
what happened there?
Sunburn. I see that.
What's the story?
I was following up on a lead.
I'd heard that, uh, those two negro witnesses
were being held in the charleston jail
for the duration of the trial.
Where'd you hear that?
I can't reveal my sources,
but I asked those deputies for directions to sniff it out.
Instead of directions, they offered me a ride.
Turns out it was a one-way fare,
and I was stuck walking five miles
in the midday sun back into town.
[ chuckles ]
you're lucky they didn't do more
than leave your ass in the country.
[ sighs ] very true.
Ruby: Mamie, we thought you'd left town.
I nearly did.
I, um -- I bit my tongue yesterday
while that woman lied about my son,
and I just couldn't bring myself to sit
through the parade of character witnesses this morning.
All you missed were a bunch of peckerwoods
trying to convince us that bryant and milam
had "the best reputations two men could ever have."
I figured.
You know, as much as I wanted to pack up
and put this nightmare behind me,
I remembered what you said about showing up.
So...Here I am.
[ indistinct conversations ]
I don't want that woman thinking I bought
any of that garbage she spewed up there,
but if I had left, she might've.
[ tense music plays ]
♪♪
[ gavel bangs ]
judge swango: Order in the court.
Gentlemen, are you prepared to give your closing arguments?
Breland: Yes, your honor.
The state may begin.
Chatham: There's been a lot of talk about this case
inside this courtroom and out,
but I'm not concerned
with outside organizations' interference.
My only concern is what is morally right or wrong.
And if you return a verdict based on anything
other than the evidence presented to you
in this courtroom,
then you will endanger every custom
and tradition the south holds dear.
And we all know that a true southerner
would never kill a child.
I was born and bred in the south,
and if emmett till acted up and deserved to be punished,
like the defense would have you believe,
then the worst punishment that should've occurred
was a whipping.
Because down here, we deal with a child as a child,
not as a man.
♪♪
the fact remains the very first words of the state's testimony
were dripping with the blood of a child.
And what were those words, gentlemen?
They were "preacher, preacher. I want that boy from chicago --
the boy that did the talking in money."
♪♪
[ telephones ringing ]
I've come to collect my -- my witness fee, sir.
Mose wright's my name.
I know who you are.
[ suspenseful music plays ]
♪♪
[ money rustling ]
♪♪
[ indistinct conversations in distance ]
♪♪
[ flashbulb pops ]
-mr. Wright. Sir. -Mose. Mose.
Can we get a question from you, sir?
Any comment, sir?
♪♪
where you going, preacher?
♪♪
[ flashbulb pops ]
♪♪
chatham: Now we have this doctor come up here,
with his degrees and titles, and he says that he cannot tell
whether the body was white or colored.
Now, if a doctor cannot tell a black body from white,
I sure don't want him writing any prescriptions for me.
[ crowd laughs ]
all it took was someone who knew and loved emmett till
to identify him,
not a doctor or a sheriff.
If there was anything left of emmett till --
a hairline, an ear, or just part of a nose --
then I say to you that his mother, mamie bradley,
was god's given witness to identify him.
[ dramatic music plays ]
♪♪
[ chair slides ]
♪♪
breland: Now, in order to, uh,
convict these young men of murder in the first degree,
each of you has to be convinced,
beyond a reasonable doubt and moral certainty,
that the state has proven their guilt.
The state has proven nothing, and certainly not murder.
Eh, suppose j.W. Milam and roy bryant
did take emmett till and later turned him loose.
Suppose old mose got in his car
and found the boy along the road as he walked home.
Mose may have taken him to meet a friend,
involved with people who want to, uh,
defy the customs of the south --
people who may have persuaded mose to take emmett till's ring
and put it on a rotten, stinking corpse
that could later be found floating in the river.
Now, when you, uh, walk into that room to deliberate,
I want you to think about your future.
'cause when your summons comes to cross the great divide,
and as you enter your father's house --
a home not made by human hands, but eternal in the heavens --
you can look back to where your father's feet have trod
and see your good record written in the sands of time,
and when you go down to your lonely, silent tomb
to a sleep that knows no dreams,
I want you to hold in the palm of your hand
a record of service to god and your fellow man.
[ tense music plays ]
and the only way you can do that is to turn these boys loose.
Every last anglo-saxon one of you
has the courage to free these men.
♪♪
has the defense completed their closing arguments?
Your honor, we have.
The state has the option of delivering
the final word to the jury, if you choose to take it.
♪♪
does the state have anything else to offer?
♪♪
yes, your honor. We do.
♪♪
what you just heard is the most far-fetched argument
ever uttered in a courtroom.
Mose wright didn't help stage a murder.
It's simple.
The defendants took the law into their own hands
and gave that boy a court-martial
with the death penalty imposed
because they didn't think anyone had the courage to come forward
and do what was morally right.
I am asking you to find that courage within yourselves today,
because the defense is right about one thing --
there are outside agitators
trying to destroy our southern way of life,
but once we take the life, liberty,
and pursuit of happiness from anyone,
we will be put on the defensive
and become vulnerable in justifying our stand.
Only so long as we can help preserve the rights of everyone,
white or black, can we keep our way of life.
♪♪
[ tense music plays ]
[ sighs ] so, what now?
We just sit here and wait?
[ sighs ] that's all we really can do.
Y-yes, of course, but in here?
With this humidity? [ breathing heavily ]
I mean, I -- I can hardly breathe.
If we leave now, we're gon' lose our seats.
Hicks: Alright. [ paper tears ]
write down your name and a number.
And what is he doing? Being an ass.
Making wagers.
Predicting how long it's gonna take.
To deliberate?
And acquit.
♪♪
everyone's expecting this to wrap up soon, aren't they?
A quick verdict doesn't necessarily mean
it won't go our way.
[ door opens ]
♪♪
they're not done.
They're thirsty.
[ laughter ]
well, let's get 'em some cokes.
[ laughter continues ]
wait, this is a joke to these people, isn't it?
[ laughter subsides ]
♪♪
juror: Ten not guilty.
Two abstained.
Looks like two of y'all are trying to hang us.
Guess we gotta sort some things out before we vote again.
Alright.
According to them undertakers,
that body had hair on its chest.
Blacks don't grow hair on their chest till they're 30,
so there ain't no way the body was that boy's.
Eh, now wait a second.
[ stammers ] that boy's mother identified the body.
That body didn't look like nobody.
Eh, it would be pretty hard for a mother
to make a mistake about her own child.
Juror #2: Eh, I didn't buy a word she said.
And if she tried a little harder,
she might have squeezed out a few more tears,
don't you think?
Milam and bryant confessed to taking the boy.
They let him go,
and what happened to him after hasn't been proven by the state.
Well, those farmhands --
they saw him on the way to the milam property.
They -- they -- they heard his screams.
And you heard what happened in that market.
Now, what if it had been your wife or your sister,
all alone when that brute strutted in there,
smart-talking her,
thinking he could come down here and do as he pleased?
♪♪
what we do today means something.
It'll either put folks on notice,
or give 'em permission to do whatever the hell they please
the next time the opportunity presents itself.
♪♪
[ papers rustle ]
♪♪
[ knock on door ]
[ door opens ]
♪♪
[ crowd murmuring ]
♪♪
let the courtroom be in order.
♪♪
have you gentlemen reached a verdict?
Yes.
Has your verdict been made in accordance
with the form that was given to you?
Yes.
Please give the verdict to the clerk.
♪♪
for the charge of murder, we the jury find the defendants,
roy bryant and j.W. Milam...
♪ I love my baby ♪
♪ with all my might ♪
reporter: We're broadcasting live outside
of the tallahatchie county courthouse.
The murder trial against j.W. Milam and roy bryant,
the two men accused of killing 14-year-old negro emmett till,
has come to an end.
After 67 minutes of deliberation,
the jury has reached a verdict --
not guilty.
[ cheers and applause ]
[ horns honking ]
[ click, radio shuts off ]
67 minutes.
It was all show.
They threw us a bone.
They gave us a trial because the world was watching,
and they will claim that they gave us a fair shot,
and that the state of mississippi did
all that they could do, and the world will believe it.
Unless we tell them otherwise.
Unless we tell the truth.
I have no doubt that you will.
I said "we."
if leflore county prosecutes on kidnapping charges,
we could have another trial ahead of us.
How do we pressure them to make sure they do prosecute?
Invitations for you to speak started coming in
the moment you stepped off that stage in chicago.
I didn't think it was appropriate to bother you
with all that business during the trial,
but now that it's over,
what do you think about getting out there
and telling folks what really went on down here?
[ somber music plays ]
I let people see what they did to emmett.
Now it's time to tell them.
♪♪
I realize it's been quite a stressful day,
so I appreciate your time in speaking with us.
[ indistinct conversations ]
so, how do you folks feel now that it's all over?
Roy, how about you?
I'm just glad it's over with.
J.W.?
I am, too.
Mrs. Bryant? Uh...
I'm fine.
And how about you, mrs. Milam? Juanita: Fine.
What happens next for you folks?
What's on the docket?
I haven't decided yet. I don't know yet.
Roy, will you open your store again?
I don't know.
The eyes of a lot of people have been on you
these last few days,
and now you're free of this murder charge.
There's still the kidnapping charge
that has to be taken care of, too.
Is that right?
I don't know. If you want anything else,
you'll have to talk to our lawyers.
Now, if you'll excuse us.
[ giggles ]
[ camera shutters clicking ]
[ film reel clicking ]
[ flashbulb pops ]
I need you fellas to come with me.
What? Where are you taking them?
Leflore county. For processing.
♪♪
alright, make room, make room.
Y'all back off. Back off there.
Sheriff smith: Afternoon.
J.W. Milam, roy bryant,
you're under arrest for the kidnapping of emmett till.
[ flashbulb pops ]
♪♪
[ handcuffs click ]
we'll be out in no time.
[ handcuffs click ]
♪♪
george.
[ sighs ]
folks are tired, george.
They're ready for this circus to leave town.
You drag this kidnapping nonsense on too long,
they'll grow tired of you, too.
I'm gonna do the job I was elected to do
for as long as I'm in the sheriff's office.
It might serve you well to do the same.
♪♪
let's get the hell out of here.
[ engine starts ]
♪♪
[ vehicle approaches ]
[ horn honks ]
[ brakes squeak ]
[ sighs ]
come on, dallas.
[ grunts ]
it's time.
[ clang ]
[ door opens ]
come on.
Come on.
Morning, paul. Morning.
You sure you're ready to do this?
Yeah. I don't have much choice, do I?
See, that's where you're wrong.
You made a living down here.
You have a little something left over every month, don't you?
There's not many of us that can say that.
Surely things'll calm down soon.
Now there's a kidnapping trial.
If there is, won't they want you to testify?
They will, and I'll come back to do it,
but I won't be staying.
Suppose things won't be getting back to normal
around here anytime soon.
Not for me and my boys, it won't.
Not for any of us.
What's that?
Oh, it's -- it's some dog chow.
Some old dried bones.
You gon' be a tough act to follow,
mose wright.
You done spoiled this animal.
Yeah.
He's the best dog in seven states.
Mm-hmm.
Hey.
There you go.
[ uplifting music plays ]
you take care of him.
Go on home with paul, okay?
That's paul. You're going home with him.
You got it?
Alright. Come on.
Get going.
♪♪
go on.
[ dallas whimpers ]
it took guts to get up there on the stand.
♪♪
you know what else?
Leaving takes guts, too.
♪♪
[ door opens ]
paul: Get over there, boy. Go on now.
[ door closes ]
there you go. Go on. Go on.
[ engine starts ]
♪♪
[ sighs ]
♪♪
[ indistinct conversations ]
[ train horn honks ]
daddy!
Hey, son!
[ chuckling ] hey, boy. Hey.
[ laughs ] hi.
Maurice. Gimme that. Gimme that. Let me. I got it.
[ grunting ] I got it.
Put it up here. Alright.
Good to see you. [ laughs ]
so, you excited to see chicago?
And mama.
I can't wait to see lincoln park.
What you know about lincoln park?
Bobo told me all about it.
He did?
[ somber music plays ]
♪♪
what'd he say?
That chicago summers were the best.
Hmm.
[ snorts, laughs ]
yeah.
You'll see.
♪♪
[ brakes screech ]
[ bell dinging ]
[ gentle music plays ]
♪♪
[ indistinct conversations ]
maurice, robert, simeon: Mama!
♪♪
mamie: What I saw in that courtroom
was a shame before god and man.
It's about the biggest farce I have ever seen.
They claim to have their own culture
based on traditions and institutions.
They claim that they are no different
than other people in this country,
and I tell you that is a lie!
[ cheers and applause ]
my son didn't attack that woman.
Man: No.
He was just a boy.
♪♪
and he paid a debt for a lot of people.
But I don't feel that he is my child anymore.
A little bit of him belongs to everybody now,
so it is up to all of us to do our part.
[ cheers and applause ]
♪♪
ah.
Welcome to harlem.
Mr. Wilkins, thank you so much for coming.
Of course.
I must say, I have never seen anything like that,
certainly not with a woman at the microphone.
But first and foremost, I am sorry that the trial
did not go our way.
Thank you.
Rayfield: The good news is the verdict is on the front page
of every newspaper in the country,
and that means every potential member
of the next grand jury is already following the story.
I think it's time we took control
of the narrative, don't you think?
Absolutely.
And we'd like to do just that,
by offering you an exclusive speaking tour,
sponsored by the naacp.
If you'll have us.
I'd be honored. [ chuckles ]
isn't that wonderful, rayfield?
Yes, of course.
But with all due respect, as mamie's advisor,
I would ask that you give her time to talk to a lawyer --
one who isn't affiliated with the naacp --
to make sure she's aware of her options.
As you know, there are many.
Until you've settled on terms with the naacp,
you have the freedom to speak wherever you choose,
but we will need an answer soon,
because the demand is only gonna grow with each passing day,
especially if you keep delivering like you did today.
[ chuckles ] well, I have faith
we will come to an agreement we're all happy with.
Until then, I'm gonna keep talking.
Good. Because people are listening.
[ applause ]
come with me.
[ door squeaks ]
[ cheers and applause ]
[ flashbulb pops ]
let this serve as a reminder
that only you can tell your story.
May I?
[ cheers and applause ]
[ uplifting music plays ]
♪♪
[ film whirring ]
♪♪
I want you all to support this wonderful organization,
because they alone can get laws in the books
to stop these lynchings.
[ crowd shouts in agreement ]
and they alone can see to it
that what happened in that trial doesn't happen again.
[ crowd shouts in agreement ]
we can't leave it in their hands.
Mississippi officials have shown us
that they cannot be trusted to uphold the laws of this nation,
a nation that my son's father, louis till,
died fighting to protect.
[ cheers and applause ]
[ flashbulbs pop ]
reporter: On the day that the verdict came down,
our members and our leaders were shocked and revolted
by the fact that the state of mississippi
had seen fit to take two murderers
and elevate them to the level of heroes.
The leadership of the united states
has definitely suffered in africa and in europe
because of what's happened in mississippi.
The jury that was supposed to render this verdict
contained not a single member of the race
of the boy who had been killed.
We will continue to battle this thing
until every man, woman, and child of the united states,
when he goes before a court of justice, will get justice.
[ cheers and applause ]
days ago, my son's lynchers were bailed out of jail
by a group of plantation owners
who banded together to raise $20,000...
So that those men could get back to supporting their families
until the grand jury convenes.
[ crowd boos ]
we must do more than complain.
[ crowd shouts "yes" ]
we must band together, just like them.
We must use our anger and our voices.
And if our calls and letters and telegrams are ignored...
We must beat them at their own game
and protest the state of mississippi
with our pocketbooks!
[ cheers and applause ]
[ inspiring music plays ]
♪♪
[ solemn music plays ]
♪♪
roy: Carolyn! [ car horn honks ]
♪♪
I just wanted to make sure I got everything.
♪♪
ain't like there's much to get.
♪♪
[ indistinct conversations ]
[ telephones ringing in distance ]
the naacp is using this woman to collect huge sums of money
based on distorted facts.
She's a grieving mother.
She's a puppet.
The northern papers are printing her hate propaganda
like it's gospel, knowing damn well
she's painting mississippi with a dangerous brush.
"they're calling mississippi the purgatory of racial tension
and a hellhole of american democracy.
How long are we gonna let them get away with that?"
"if till was really killed,
then the naacp, its mongrel leaders,
and the abominable excuse for a supreme court
are solely responsible, not us."
this is just today's mail.
We need a rebuttal --
a story powerful enough to silence them
so that our readers feel heard.
What about the boy's father?
What about him?
He's dead, right?
A war hero, died overseas. There's no story there.
Senator eastland seems to think there's more to it than that.
It's time we did a little digging.
Packton, you were hot on this back in September.
You go ahead and take the lead.
I'll meet you in d.C.
From there, we'll head to grand rapids
and then des moines.
Well, I suppose I should be grateful to get a few days
to rest and recharge in chicago with gene and mama.
I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
I know it's been tough, but these next few weeks
before the grand jury convenes are critical,
and while you're home, you need to talk to a lawyer
so we can start negotiating.
I am not looking to get rich off of any tour.
I just want to pay my rent.
Wilkins: Good afternoon.
Roy.
What brings you down here?
This.
♪♪
how much did you know?
Please, mr. Wilkins.
I learned about louis' death by telegram 10 years ago.
And what did it say?
I-it said he -- he was charged with
willful misconduct in Italy.
And what did that mean to you -- "willful misconduct?"
I didn't know. He was executed!
Hanged for rape, mamie.
And by you leaving that detail out of your speeches,
people are saying that you implied
that he died for our country in war.
[ groans ]
I didn't believe it, alright?
This country isn't the only place where they [sniffles]
lynch black men for looking at white women.
But you have no proof. Neither did they!
♪♪
louis till was a bad husband.
He stepped out.
He put his hands on me.
I am not proud of any of that.
I-I am ashamed, but that has nothing to do with emmett.
He barely knew his father.
He -- he didn't learn a thing from that man.
♪♪
"like father, like son."
♪♪
it is no coincidence that this story came out
right before the grand jury hearing, is it?
If I had known, mamie, I could have gotten ahead of this thing.
I cannot let that poison the jury.
I-I -- I-I have to fight this.
Unfortunately, you don't have much time.
If you want the last word, you must control the message.
Let us help you do that.
Mamie's exhausted.
If you want her to continue for you,
she deserves a substantial piece of the tour.
That's our bottom line. Enough!
I can't do this right now.
Not while they're saying these sick things about my boy.
I am sorry,
but I need to go.
Mamie. Thank you...
For everything you've done, both of you,
but I need to be alone.
♪♪
well now, they haven't [sighs] said a word about that night
to anybody but me,
so why should they tell some fiction writer?
[ chuckles ]
I'll pay.
How much?
$4,000,
to be divided among the three of you.
Now, mr. Breland, of course,
will receive his commission.
In addition to your advance,
look magazine will add a percentage of the profits
from the publication of the story.
Mm-hmm.
Roy: I don't know, j.W.
I ain't feeling right about all this.
Oh, really?
You feeling right about your market being closed?
Or how y'all feeling about not being able
to put food in your boys' mouths
'cause everybody jumped ship?
[ sighs ]
what would we have to do?
Confess.
[ sighs ]
I will make no claim that the story
is based on a confession from the actual killers,
but rather from very reliable sources.
Mm.
Now, this story will be billed as my version
of exactly what happened --
exactly what was said, exactly what was done
at exactly what date and what hour.
But I will not state, declare, or claim
that I had the assistance of any particular person.
And what happens if they get indicted
on them kidnapping charges in the coming days?
Well, if there's a trial,
the magazine won't publish the story
until there's a verdict,
but I don't want to wait for all that.
Once you sign that contract, we begin,
and we'll need to keep our meetings quiet.
I don't see any reason why anybody should know
what's being discussed in this office.
And even if we meet in secret, things happen.
People talk. What then?
If I'm subpoenaed for some reason,
I will invoke my constitutional right
to withhold my sources.
I'll refuse to testify.
So, we have a deal?
[ tense music plays ]
♪♪
well, if it isn't my favorite yankee,
mr. Dan wakefield.
I guess strider's deputies are gonna have to try
a little harder to keep you out of the delta, huh?
I guess so, yeah. [ chuckles ]
what a piss-poor turnout.
Yeah, well, this case is bigger than any courthouse,
but you know that firsthand, don't you?
What's eating at you?
Before the murder trial,
the case was all about a wolf-whistle.
Once the press got wind of carolyn bryant's testimony,
it turned into something else -- attempted rape.
The story about his father really ties it all together,
doesn't it? Now, listen --
your paper justified the boy's murder.
We just reported the facts,
and we did so with an editorial assuring readers
that the details of till's father's execution
had no bearing on this kidnapping case.
[ door opens ]
I guess you're about to find out
if any of that's true, aren't you?
Court clerk: The grand jury has reached decisions
in all of the cases under consideration.
It's over.
No trial.
They're free.
No.
Don't leave the shop, gene.
I-I-I'm fine.
Call mama, will you?
I can't bear it.
[ receiver clacks ]
[ telephone rings ]
[ receiver clatters ]
[ somber music plays ]
♪♪
[ wringer whirring ]
♪♪
[ whirring stops ]
♪♪
[ switch clicking ]
♪♪
[ grunts ]
♪♪
emmett!
[ sobbing ]
♪♪
[ sobbing continues ]
♪♪
[ door opens ]
♪♪
[ door closes ]
♪♪
[ sobs, sniffles ]
I've been calling, baby.
Everybody has.
I am so sorry.
Washing machine's broke, mama.
Okay.
Then we'll fix it.
Emmett was always doing laundry.
He had to have his clothes just so.
That boy had too much pride for his own good.
Stop that. No, mama. Don't you see?
He went and broke the damn machine before he left,
and he kept it from me.
What you mean he broke it?
You haven't done laundry in two months?
I was never home long enough.
Oh.
[ clicking ]
[ sighs ]
[ sniffles ]
[ clinking ]
[ washing machine whirring ]
[ switch clicks, whirring stops ]
just needed to give it a -- a little tlc.
You always swoop in to save the day, don't you?
On a day like today,
I wish that I could.
I just don't know how I'm gonna get through the holidays.
[ sighs ]
[ voice breaking ] it'll be our first thanksgiving without him.
Meanwhile, those men are free to carve their turkeys
and watch their boys open presents on christmas morning.
When I think of that, when I think of --
of all that I'll miss,
of all that they've taken from me,
I can't help but wonder
what more I could've done to see to it
that they paid for what they did.
Unh-unh.
[ crying ]
god'll see to it.
I-I should've fought harder.
I-I could've been louder than those articles
about his father, and...
You did more than most women
could have done in your position.
Most women would have taken to their bed for months --
for years --
and they would've had every right
to have done just that.
What if I had been -- been --
been harder on him, like you were with me?
M-maybe he -- he would still be here.
Enough.
That woman --
those monsters --
they poisoned the jury.
[ sniffles ]
don't let them get inside your head, too.
[ sobs ] but I can't get them out.
I -- you got to try, because --
because there are things we'll never know.
♪♪
like what really happened to him.
♪♪
they took his body, not his spirit.
♪♪
his death woke up the world, mamie.
♪♪
but I never wanted him to be a martyr, mama.
[ crying ] I know.
I-I never --
no, no, no, no.
I never wanted that.
♪♪
to freedom.
-Freedom. -To freedom.
[ glasses clink ]
alright.
Well, a-alright, al-- alright, alright.
Let's take it easy on the swill, now.
I need you thinking straight.
Straight as I'll ever be.
[ chuckling ] okay.
So, I'd like to start by, uh,
clearing up a rumor
that's been eating up a lot of folks' time
since all this began.
Hmm.
Now, you had at least two white men
and three negroes with you all that night,
and I want their names. No, we were alone.
You even think about printing anything else,
I'll tear that contract up right now.
Don't act like you don't know about the double jeopardy law.
These boys can't be tried again, even with a confession,
but if they incriminate someone else,
charges could be brought against those parties.
Of course. Of course.
Y'all can't blame me for digging, now, can you?
[ chuckles ] alright.
Uh, so, I want to start with, uh, the night you took emmett
from mose wright's home.
It was, uh, August 28th of 1955, correct?
Yeah.
What sent you there?
My brother and me had heard that this chicago nigger
had gotten mouthy, whistled at my sister-in-law.
One of my workers said that he was staying
with the old preacher,
and so, we drove out to mose wright's and asked for him,
and the preacher led us right to him.
[ thud ]
please. You want out of this?
Stay down and shut the hell up.
[ engine rumbles ]
[ vehicle departs ]
♪♪
so, when you got him,
did you take him back to, uh, the market
for mrs. Bryant to identify?
♪♪
j.W.? Yeah?
You take him back to the market?
No.
Well, no reason to.
He didn't deny he was the one done the talking,
so we didn't need her. We knew.
[ doors open, close ]
[ engine revs ]
♪♪
after we left the uncle's, we just went driving,
looking for a spot just to scare some sense into the boy.
♪♪
here he is.
The smart talker.
Roy: Well, now, looky here.
Ain't saying much now, boy, are you?
[ whimpering ]
♪♪
[ liquid pouring ]
ahh.
Go.
♪♪
come on.
Go on.
♪♪
[ whimpering ]
what kinda poison they pumping in you up north
to make you think it's okay to run your filthy mouth
to my wife?!
[ screams, crying ]
milam: He was tough.
We never could scare him enough.
Throughout the whole ordeal, he never even hollered.
[ punches landing, emmett screaming ]
♪♪
we drove around with him in the back of the truck for hours.
He never even tried to run.
♪♪
alright, get him out. Come on!
If folks haven't already started looking for him, they will.
Well, why the hell did you bring him here?
We got lost.
Well, I got fields to work, I got farmhands gonna show up.
Take care of it.
♪♪
the boy was hopeless, so we took him back to my place.
And that's where we whipped him.
[ whip cracking, emmett screaming ]
[ door squeaks ]
♪♪
huie: The farmhands, uh, said they saw you
with the boy at a plantation run by your brother, leslie.
No, we were at my shop, like I just said to you.
♪♪
okay. Okay.
Alright.
[ whip cracking, emmett screaming ]
♪♪
milam: He just kept saying he wasn't afraid of us.
Kept saying he was as good as us.
Just taunting us.
Even said that he had white women.
♪♪
[ gun clicks ]
[ weakly ] mama.
[ gunshot ]
uh...
So you -- you whipped him good at your place.
Then what?
We got back in my truck.
Could the boy walk on his own?
Yeah. Sure.
Was he bleeding?
Not much.
Pistol-whipping bruises more than it cuts.
So, you left your shop... Mm-hmm.
And we went to progressive ginning company.
We took an old gin fan
and made the boy load it up on the back of the truck,
and then we drove off looking for that bluff.
We were hell-bent on finding that.
Was he alive when y'all got there?
Yeah.
Milam: That's where we made him undress.
♪♪
he didn't like that.
[ both grunting ]
milam: And after, we just kind of stood there
for a little while,
just hating each other.
♪♪
milam: Alright, get the fan.
And then I gave him a chance to fix things.
I said, "you still had white women?"
♪♪
he said, "yeah."
♪♪
so, I stood there and listened to him
throw that poison at me, and I just made up my mind.
I was gonna make an example out of him.
♪♪
so I shot him.
♪♪
ready? One, two, three!
[ groans ]
one, two, three.
[ splash ]
[ water bubbles ]
[ panting ]
♪♪
remained hidden until now.
The brutal step-by-step account
of what happened on that fateful night.
Get your copy of look early.
[ somber music plays ]
♪♪
I don't know how much more I can stand.
How I can go on.
These horrible lies they tell to explain away
the killing of a child in cold blood --
a child that they portrayed as a man --
a man who never fought back and who -- who --
who was defiant until the end.
They -- they aren't human. They're beasts.
And that woman --
I don't even see how she can sleep at night.
I used to think there was a reason for all this pain --
that god had given me a purpose and a mission,
and I was happy to accept it
when I thought that people were listening, but here we are.
Some white man just put his name on that, and that is it.
End of story!
It's only the end if you say so.
What can I say now?
Nothing I have said or ever will say is going to matter,
because that trash is now my son's legacy!
And the sick thing is, if it weren't for this article,
people would have forgotten about emmett.
Well, that's not true. Open a paper.
Turn on a television. Emmett is old news now.
People are thinking about what's next.
Come on, now. That's not true, mamie.
But it is!
I used to be a part of the movement.
Now I am just sitting at home, watching it unfold,
while folks like martin luther king
and rosa parks are out there making things happen.
I don't expect for you to understand.
But I do.
You feel...
Left behind.
♪♪
and you're full of regrets --
of all the things you wish you had said but couldn't.
You couldn't...
Because you didn't know.
Just like I couldn't have known that I'd never get the chance
to try to be the father he deserved.
Oh, I can't do this right now.
I can't take it, your -- your tenderness
and -- and your kind words.
I am just not in the right mind.
Be angry, but do it with me.
Marry me.
Ridiculous.
What, you call that a proposal?
♪♪
how is it any more ridiculous
than all the other times I've done it?
You remember when I asked you to marry me
at the dinner table last summer?
Mose was there.
Alma, too.
And emmett.
♪♪
he was my protector.
♪♪
and I wasn't there for him when he needed me most.
Well, I don't think he'd want you stuck.
I think he'd want you to move forward.
And I'm not just talking about with me.
Your words sparked the whole world to fight.
But right now, it's not the world who needs that spark.
It's you.
♪♪
I want it back.
♪♪
that spark.
Then get out there and find it.
[ brakes squeal nearby ]
♪♪
[ indistinct chatter ]
♪♪
I've been living in the moment for too long.
Maybe it's time I focus on what's next.
Mm-hmm.
There it is.
That spark.
A-ask me again.
What?
That ridiculous question of yours.
♪♪
what was it again?
[ both laugh ]
♪♪
will you marry me?
♪♪
mm-hmm.
[ laughter ]
♪♪
[ sighs ]
♪♪
[ indistinct conversations ]
♪♪
mrs. Bradley?
It's an honor. I'm rita.
Oh, calling me mamie's just fine.
It's nice to meet you.
I remember my mama skipping work
to get in line for your son's viewing.
When she got home that night, she just...Held me.
She was saying how brave you were,
how things were gonna start changing
because of what you did.
She was right.
♪♪
mamie: When you find out that you're gonna be a mother,
you have all these ideas in your head
about how your baby's gonna look
and who he's gonna be.
And then all of a sudden, he's here,
and none of that stuff matters anymore
because he decides and you just let him be.
News anchor: On December 5, 1955,
many of montgomery's busses were empty,
the result of a negro boycott that began
when rosa parks made a momentous decision.
I didn't feel that
I was being treated as a human being.
I refused to give up the seat.
I said, "no."
mamie: And then, when he falls, you blame yourself
for not being around enough, or for being around too much.
You can't help it.
You're a mother.
It's what we do.
Dr. King: The year-old protest is officially called off,
and the negro citizens of montgomery
are urged to return to the busses tomorrow morning
on a non-segregated basis.
[ cheers and applause ]
mamie: There will come a day
when you'll be forced to let go,
and all you can do is hope that you've done enough
to prepare him for the world.
Reporter: ...Arkansas, where nine negro students
were blocked from entering the school
by the national guard.
Today, on what marks the 8-year anniversary
of the death of emmett till, martin luther king jr.
And nearly 250,000 people from across the united states
marched on washington for jobs and freedom.
[ crowd chanting "now!" ]
mamie: I thought I failed to prepare you, emmett.
I tried to ignore it for some time -- that blame --
but it was always here, buried deep in my bones.
I kept myself busy so I didn't have to feel it.
I'd just go, go, go because I felt like
I was part of something big.
It was a great distraction...
[ tv turns off ]
...Until I wasn't part of anything at all.
♪♪
I had to sit in the stillness and feel my feelings,
until the truth finally revealed itself to me.
I didn't fail to prepare you for the world.
The world failed you.
♪♪
it wasn't ready for you, my boy.
My bobo.
It still isn't.
But I believe it will be, one day.
I have to believe...
Because of all the little boys out there just like you.
♪♪
boys whose mamas raised them to live in a better world
than the world they were born into.
[ solemn music plays ]
♪♪
I'm just glad it's over with.
Mrs. Bryant? I'm fine.
I want to say that I feel that
emmett was more or less loaned to me --
that perhaps I wasn't his mother
in the sense that other women are mothers to their children,
but I appreciate the 14 years that we spent together.
It was a joy watching the unfolding of his mind
and the development of his body,
and I don't regret a minute of the time that we spent together.
I'm just sorry that it was so short.
♪♪