Newcomer actor Cedric Joe has landed the coveted role of Emmett Till in the limited series Women of the Movement, produced by Jay Z and Will Smith.
The six-episode series, set to premiere in 2021, will revolve around Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, who devoted her life to seeking justice for her teenage son following his murder in the mid-1950s.
The 14-year-old Chicago native was killed by members of the KKK while vacationing with his family in Mississippi.
His brutal death prompted Mamie to launch the Civil Rights Movement as we know it today.
Joe, who will also appear in the upcoming Space Jam revamp, A New Legacy, won the role of Till following a nationwide search to find a young African-American actor who could embody the tragic character.
Adrienne Warren will play Till’s mother and Niecy Nash co-stars as Alma, the boy’s grandmother.
Women of the Movement is inspired by Devery S. Anderson‘s book Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement.
