How the Costumes of ABC’s ‘Women of the Movement’ Represent Joy and Tragedy

Women of the Movement costume designer Justine Seymour tells Mamie Till-Mobley’s gut-wrenching story through the evolution of colors.

Over the course of the six-episode limited series, which premieres Jan. 6 on ABC, Till-Mobley’s wardrobe cycles through a variety of palettes — bright and vibrant at the start, followed by dark shades of mourning as the story unfolds.

Women of the Movement follows Till-Mobley (played by Adrienne Warren) in her pursuit of justice for her son, Emmett Till, who was viciously murdered at age 14 in 1955 in the Jim Crow South. Till-Mobley is remembered for her courageous decision to hold an open-casket funeral service for Emmett, an event that exposed the world to the brutality of racism and ultimately helped propel the U.S. civil rights movement.