*ABC is set to explore the murder of Emmett Till.
The network has announced a six-episode limited series titled “Women of the Movement,” that will focus on Till’s mother, Mamie Till Mobley, and her lifelong fight for justice for her 14-year-old son.
The series is inspired by the book “Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement” by Devery S. Anderson, which charts the events following Tills death in 1955 in Mississippi.
The first episode will be directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Love & Basketball”). JAY-Z and Will Smith are among the executive producers.
“Today marks 65 years since the tragic murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till. This limited series will shine a light on the determined pursuit of justice by Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till Mobley,” said Karey Burke, President of ABC Entertainment, in a statement Friday, ET reports. “Their story involves inconceivable heartbreak and brutality but also the enduring love of a mother and her son, galvanizing a movement that carved the path for today’s racial justice movement. We are honored to be bringing their story to ABC backed by an all-star producing team.”
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“I am thrilled to bring this project to television. It is unfortunately very timely, and my hope is to give the audience a chance to learn who Emmett Till really was — the boy, rather than the victim or the martyr — while also showcasing Mamie’s astonishing strength in the face of a mother’s worst nightmare,” said creator of the series/showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar. “Telling Emmett and Mamie’s story is a responsibility I have not taken lightly since I began this journey last year, because this is more than a tragedy; it’s a story about a mother’s unwavering love of her son and her commitment to bettering the lives of all Black people. I can’t wait to start filming. With the brilliant Gina Prince-Bythewood as our director, we could not be in better hands.”
“The story of Emmett Till and Mamie Till is not one I want to tell. It is a story I need to tell,” Prince-Bythewood said. “I am grateful to be on this journey with incredible collaborators who are determined to honor this mother and son with truth, authenticity and humanity.”
The teenager was murdered and mutilated by white racists for allegedly whistling at a white girl (Carolyn Bryant) while shopping at a store. Till’s killers were acquitted. They later admitted to the murder but because of double jeopardy, they could not be tried a second time.
In 2018, the Justice Department reopened the investigation into the Till’s murder “based upon the discovery of new information,” the department said.
“For African Americans, the murder of Till was evidence of the decades-old codes of violence exacted upon Black men and women for breaking the rules of white supremacy in the Deep South,” the National Museum of African American History and Culture said.
Bryant admitted more than five decades later that she lied about the circumstances which lead to his death. At aged 83, she spoke to author Timothy Tyson for his book about the lynching.
“The circumstances under which she told the story were coercive,” Tyson said. “She’s horrified by it. There’s clearly a great burden of guilt and sorrow.”
“Women of the Movement” is expected to premiere in 2021.
