Actor Jesse Williams has become the No.1 trending topic after he used Nike’s ad campaign to promote his new Emmett Till film.
Colin Kaepernick’s now iconic ad campaign with #Nike has inspired many with his line, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” That message rang through everyone’s hearts including Williams who used the quote as a way to promote his upcoming film about Emmett Till. It was announced on Monday that Williams was tapped to direct the new film which will tell the heartbreaking story of Till and how today, people are still fighting to see justice for Till as well as many others slaughtered by the hands of white supremacy.
This will be Williams’ directorial debut as he will be working off a screenplay by Michael Reilly and civil rights filmmaker Keith A. Beauchamp. According to Deadline, the film will be based on Beauchamp’s 2005 documentary, “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till,” which led the United States Department of Justice to reopen the Till case in 2004. He’ll also be producing alongside #WhoopiGoldberg, Frederick Zollo, Barbara Broccoli, Thomas Levine, Leah Natasha Thomas, and Beauchamp. Goldberg will also star in the film.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The focus was originally on the movie itself but after Williams posted a series of photos with Kaepernick’s quote over a picture of Mamie Till (Till’s mother) and Till, people have broken into an outcry. One of the photos is from Till’s funeral with Mamie crying over Till’s casket. Williams used the photo with the Nike caption and put “Till Coming Soon,” at the bottom, teasing the film. Since facing backlash Williams has removed all but one photo, which shows Till’s uncle pointing out the white men who killed Till, in court.
