Celebrating Black History Month at the VCU Libraries
Reviewed by Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian
Blood Done Sign My Name is Timothy Tyson's account of a racial hate crime and the surrounding events that took place during his childhood in Oxford, North Carolina. In 1970, African American Henry Marrow was chased, beaten, and shot in the presence of several witnesses by Robert Teel and his sons. Despite overwhelming evidence, the men were acquitted of murder and the events leading up to and following the trial widened the already significant racial gap existing in Oxford. Tyson explores race relations, the civil rights movement, and small-town politics in this honest and well-researched work. He includes his own memories of the time, as well as others' perspectives, including that of the murderer, Robert Teel, civil rights activists, and his own father—a Methodist minister who challenged the white status quo by working towards racial equality and reconciliation in his own congregation.
I met Timothy Tyson in Shelby, NC while he was on the set of Blood Done Sign My Name. I was an extra in the movie. I enjoyed talking to him, he was nice and informative about his book. I liked the whole experience of working on the set .