June 1998, in the sleepy town of Jasper, TX, three young, self-styled white supremists overpower a 49-year-old black man named James Byrd Jr., chain him to the back of their pickup, and literally drag him to death. As the frenzy of the media continues, the relationship between the white and black residents of Jasper is severely strained. Two decent men are at the center of the investigation: R.C. Horn, the first black mayor of Jasper, and Billy Rowles, the town's white sheriff. Instead of being wrenched apart, the black and white communities of Jasper draw closer together than they have ever been.