Women of the Movement (2022) s01e06 Episode Script
The Last Word
The loveliest and the purest
- 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.
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?"
This is the reasoning
which produces riots
and bloodshed, raping, and revolutions.
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.
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.
You're lucky they didn't do more
than leave your ass in the country.
Very true.
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.
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.
Order in the court.
Gentlemen, are you prepared
to give your closing arguments?
Yes, Your Honor.
The state may begin.
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."
I've come to collect
my My witness fee, sir.
Mose Wright's my name.
I know who you are.
- Mr. Wright. Sir.
- Mose. Mose.
Can we get a question from you, sir?
Any comment, sir?
Where you going, Preacher?
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.
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.
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.
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.
So, what now?
We just sit here and wait?
That's all we really can do.
Y-Yes, of course, but in here?
With this humidity?
I mean, I-I can hardly breathe.
If we leave now, we're
gon' lose our seats.
All right.
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.
They're not done.
They're thirsty.
Well, let's get 'em some Cokes.
Wait, this is a joke to
these people, isn't it?
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.
All right.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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?
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.
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?
- 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.
I need you fellas to come with me.
What? Where are you taking them?
Leflore County. For processing.
All right, make room, make room.
Y'all back off. Back off there.
Afternoon.
J.W. Milam, Roy Bryant,
you're under arrest for the
kidnapping of Emmett Till.
We'll be out in no time.
George.
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.
Come on, Dallas.
It's time.
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. There you go.
You take care of him.
Go on home with Paul, okay?
That's Paul. You're going home with him.
You got it?
All right. Come on. Get going.
Go on.
It took guts to get
up there on the stand.
You know what else?
Leaving takes guts, too.
Get over there, boy. Go on now.
There you go. Go on. Go on.
Daddy!
Hey, son!
Hey, boy. Hey.
Hi.
Maurice. Gimme that.
Gimme that. Let me. I got it.
I got it.
Put it up here. All right.
Good to see you.
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?
What'd he say?
That Chicago summers were the best.
Hmm.
Yeah.
You'll see.
Mama!
- 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!
My son didn't attack that woman.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Come with me.
Let this serve as a reminder
that only you can tell your story.
May I?
I want you all to support
this wonderful organization,
because they alone
can get laws in the books
to stop these lynchings.
And they alone can see to it
that what happened in that
trial doesn't happen again.
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.
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.
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.
We must do more than complain.
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!
Carolyn!
I just wanted to make
sure I got everything.
Ain't like there's much to get.
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.
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.
I didn't believe it, all right?
This country isn't the
only place where they
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
said a word about that night
to anybody but me,
so why should they
tell some fiction writer?
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,
LOOKmagazine will add
a percentage of the profits
from the publication of the story.
Mm-hmm.
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?
What would we have to do?
Confess.
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?
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.
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.
I guess you're about to find out
if any of that's true, aren't you?
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.
Emmett!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Don't let them get
inside your head, too.
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.
I know.
I-I never
No, no, no, no.
I never wanted that.
To freedom.
- Freedom.
- To freedom.
All right.
Well, a-all right,
al All right, all right.
Let's take it easy on the swill, now.
I need you thinking straight.
Straight as I'll ever be.
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?
All right.
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.
- Please.
- You want out of this?
Stay down and shut the hell up.
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.
We knew.
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.
Well, now, looky here.
Ain't saying much now, boy, are you?
Ahh.
Go.
Come on. Go on.
What kinda poison they
pumping in you up north
to make you think it's
okay to run your filthy mouth
to my wife?
He was tough.
We never could scare him enough.
Throughout the whole
ordeal, he never even hollered.
We drove around with him in
the back of the truck for hours.
He never even tried to run.
All right, 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.
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.
All right.
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.
Mama.
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.
That's where we made him undress.
He didn't like that.
And after, we just kind of stood there
for a little while, just
hating each other.
All right, 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!
One, two, three.
Headlines screamed across the nation,
millions of words were written about it,
a trial would be held,
yet the truth about
the Emmett Till killing in Mississippi
remained hidden until now.
The brutal step-by-step account
of what happened on that fateful night.
Get your copy of LOOK early.
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.
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?
Will you marry me?
Mm-hmm.
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.
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.
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."
And then, when he falls,
you blame yourself for
not being around enough,
or for being around too much.
And you can't help it.
You're a mother.
It's what we do.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
- 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.
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?"
This is the reasoning
which produces riots
and bloodshed, raping, and revolutions.
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.
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.
You're lucky they didn't do more
than leave your ass in the country.
Very true.
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.
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.
Order in the court.
Gentlemen, are you prepared
to give your closing arguments?
Yes, Your Honor.
The state may begin.
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."
I've come to collect
my My witness fee, sir.
Mose Wright's my name.
I know who you are.
- Mr. Wright. Sir.
- Mose. Mose.
Can we get a question from you, sir?
Any comment, sir?
Where you going, Preacher?
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.
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.
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.
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.
So, what now?
We just sit here and wait?
That's all we really can do.
Y-Yes, of course, but in here?
With this humidity?
I mean, I-I can hardly breathe.
If we leave now, we're
gon' lose our seats.
All right.
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.
They're not done.
They're thirsty.
Well, let's get 'em some Cokes.
Wait, this is a joke to
these people, isn't it?
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.
All right.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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?
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.
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?
- 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.
I need you fellas to come with me.
What? Where are you taking them?
Leflore County. For processing.
All right, make room, make room.
Y'all back off. Back off there.
Afternoon.
J.W. Milam, Roy Bryant,
you're under arrest for the
kidnapping of Emmett Till.
We'll be out in no time.
George.
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.
Come on, Dallas.
It's time.
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. There you go.
You take care of him.
Go on home with Paul, okay?
That's Paul. You're going home with him.
You got it?
All right. Come on. Get going.
Go on.
It took guts to get
up there on the stand.
You know what else?
Leaving takes guts, too.
Get over there, boy. Go on now.
There you go. Go on. Go on.
Daddy!
Hey, son!
Hey, boy. Hey.
Hi.
Maurice. Gimme that.
Gimme that. Let me. I got it.
I got it.
Put it up here. All right.
Good to see you.
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?
What'd he say?
That Chicago summers were the best.
Hmm.
Yeah.
You'll see.
Mama!
- 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!
My son didn't attack that woman.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Come with me.
Let this serve as a reminder
that only you can tell your story.
May I?
I want you all to support
this wonderful organization,
because they alone
can get laws in the books
to stop these lynchings.
And they alone can see to it
that what happened in that
trial doesn't happen again.
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.
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.
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.
We must do more than complain.
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!
Carolyn!
I just wanted to make
sure I got everything.
Ain't like there's much to get.
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.
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.
I didn't believe it, all right?
This country isn't the
only place where they
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
said a word about that night
to anybody but me,
so why should they
tell some fiction writer?
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,
LOOKmagazine will add
a percentage of the profits
from the publication of the story.
Mm-hmm.
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?
What would we have to do?
Confess.
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?
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.
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.
I guess you're about to find out
if any of that's true, aren't you?
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.
Emmett!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Don't let them get
inside your head, too.
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.
I know.
I-I never
No, no, no, no.
I never wanted that.
To freedom.
- Freedom.
- To freedom.
All right.
Well, a-all right,
al All right, all right.
Let's take it easy on the swill, now.
I need you thinking straight.
Straight as I'll ever be.
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?
All right.
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.
- Please.
- You want out of this?
Stay down and shut the hell up.
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.
We knew.
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.
Well, now, looky here.
Ain't saying much now, boy, are you?
Ahh.
Go.
Come on. Go on.
What kinda poison they
pumping in you up north
to make you think it's
okay to run your filthy mouth
to my wife?
He was tough.
We never could scare him enough.
Throughout the whole
ordeal, he never even hollered.
We drove around with him in
the back of the truck for hours.
He never even tried to run.
All right, 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.
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.
All right.
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.
Mama.
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.
That's where we made him undress.
He didn't like that.
And after, we just kind of stood there
for a little while, just
hating each other.
All right, 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!
One, two, three.
Headlines screamed across the nation,
millions of words were written about it,
a trial would be held,
yet the truth about
the Emmett Till killing in Mississippi
remained hidden until now.
The brutal step-by-step account
of what happened on that fateful night.
Get your copy of LOOK early.
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.
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?
Will you marry me?
Mm-hmm.
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.
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.
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."
And then, when he falls,
you blame yourself for
not being around enough,
or for being around too much.
And you can't help it.
You're a mother.
It's what we do.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.