Southern Rites visits Montgomery County, Ga., one year after the town merged its racially segregated proms, and during a historic election campaign that may lead to its first African-American sheriff. Acclaimed photographer Gillian Laub, whose photos first brought the area unwanted notoriety, documents the repercussions when a white town resident is charged with the murder of a young black man. The case divides locals along well-worn racial lines, and the ensuing plea bargain and sentencing uncover complex truths and produce emotional revelations.

Em 1997, o ator e morador de Charleston, Morgan Freeman, se ofereceu para criar o primeiro baile de formatura racialmente integrado da cidade. Sua oferta foi inicialmente rejeitada e aceita somente em 2008.