After her son's body is recovered in Mississippi, Mamie insists on having a public wake with an open casket to ensure that he did not die in vain; the case becomes national news, putting pressure on Mississippi officials to go to trial.
The historic trial begins, and on the eve of her testimony, Mamie must face the three people responsible for her son's murder, as well as some ugly truths in the Jim Crow South.
The two mothers at the center of the Emmett Till murder, Carolyn Bryant and Mamie Till-Mobley, testify about his character in front of a packed courtroom.