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Hiram arrives in Mississippi from Arizona to visit his grandfather.
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Hiram meets Emmett (Bobo) Till from Chicago, the nephew of his racist grandfather’s maid, Ruthanne. Bobo is forced by Ruthanne to carry Hiram’s bags.
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Hiram doesn’t like how R.C. and other people treat the African Americans and complains about it to his grandfather. His grandfather tells him that it’s the way of the South and that Bobo deserved it for asking for a white person’s food.
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While Hiram and R.C. are fishing, Emmett sees them and asks Hiram for some of his lunch. R.C. then beats Emmett up for asking for a white person's food.
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Hiram and R.C., go fishing on the Tallahatchie.
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Emmett whistled at and made “ugly remarks” to Mrs. Bryant at Bryant’s Store.
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R.C. tells Hiram that he was going to teach Emmett a lesson.
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Hiram calls the sheriff with news about what R.C. had told him. The sheriff told him that R.C. was all talk and nothing would happen to Emmett.
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Hiram is upset about the kidnapping of Emmett and starts to understand and agree with the thinking and decisions of his father.
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The next day news of a Chicago negro boy being kidnapped by three white men reached most of Greenwood. This boy was Emmett. He was kidnapped by J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant, but nobody was sure who the third man was. About a week later, Emmett's body was found in the Tallahatchie River.
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The next day, the sheriff shows up with a paper for Hiram to sign saying that he will appear in court as a witness.
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Hiram is afraid of what R.C. will do to him if he speaks in court about what he told him. He doesn't know what to do because he wants to tell the truth, but he doesn't want to be bothered by R.C. In the end, he decides that he will tell the truth no matter what.
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Hiram and his grandfather go to the courthouse. They hear from the attorneys and some witnessess. Hiram doesn't have to speak at the trial on this day.
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Hiram and his grandfather go to the courthouse again. They hear from more witnesses, none of which are Hiram.
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Hiram doesn’t end up having to speak in court and although he thought that J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant were proved guilty of Emmett’s murder by many witnesses and facts, the judge ruled them innocent. Hiram thought this was because the judge and jury were being prejudice. At the end of the trial, J.W. Milam turns around and gives Hiram's grandfather the thumbs up sign.
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Hiram doesn’t know who the third person is. He thinks it's his grandfather because of all his "Council Meetings," and the thumbs up from Milam. When Hiram questions his grandfather, he admits to kidnapping Emmett.
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Hiram returns to Arizona without telling anyone about what his grandfather did. He tells his dad that he now understands what he was saying and why he doesn’t like the south and that he agrees with him.
