Review: The Emmett Till story, and that of his mother, is told through a new ABC historical drama and companion docuseries

The brutal 1955 lynching of 14-year-old Chicagoan Emmett Till while visiting family in Mississippi, the subsequent trial of his killers, who were acquitted, and specifically the experiences and decision-making by his mother Mamie Till-Mobley are the focus of a new multipart series airing on ABC over the next three weeks called “Women of the Movement,” premiering Thursday. Additionally, each week the broadcast of the show (scripted and performed by a cast) will be followed by a companion docuseries produced by ABC News called “Let the World See,” offering deeper historical context.

For most Chicagoans, the story of Till’s murder is well-known. Or it should be, notwithstanding an ignorant moment in 2019 when the Chicago White Sox beamed his photo on the scoreboard alongside