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, which puts pressure on Mississippi officials to do the unthinkable—go to trial.

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.