I re-read a book on the 1970 Oxford, NC racial killing as play comes to Fayetteville
I re-read the book, “Blood Done Sign My Name,” for the third time in preparation for the upcoming play and discussion with the author of the book, Tim Tyson, on Saturday, Feb 11 at 2 p.m. in Huff Hall at Methodist University.
I was looking for an explanation of the African-American spiritual which the title of the book is named for. Although it should be obvious what the spiritual means to enslaved people and their descendants, it is not so obvious to us white folk until you identify with how Mr. Tyson researched writing the true history of this racial travesty of justice in Oxford, NC, which happened in 1970.
I read the book for the first time shortly after moving to NC from Michigan, having never even heard of the term “Lost Cause” until we moved here. I read the book the second time shortly after Trump was elected and I heard outrageous statements of racial bias and untruths from people who I thought were my friends.
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When I recently re-read the book I found one section that speaks to the present political climate: “Taught to believe in leaders, we came to believe that anybody with a fighting chance to alter the reactionary trajectory of American political history ended up assassinated. Trained to revere democracy, we saw the American presidency disintegrate on television in an electronic haze of lies.”
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Tim Tyson grew up in Oxford and as a young boy saw what happened as a result of this senseless racial murder and the rage that occurred as a result. In 2004, the book was published after Tyson interviewed many people who were involved in the murder as well as those who were involved in the attempts to pursue racial justice when the murderers were acquitted.
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Through these interviews and Tyson’s own struggle with trying to make sense of the unconscious acceptance of white supremacy, I have a better understanding, though not acceptance of this mentality through 400 years of believing that whites are superior to Blacks. Blood done sign our names as oppressors as well.
Organizing Against Racism in Cumberland County (OAR), invites you to attend this play and talk back with the author free of charge but not free of gaining some insight into the need to address the issue of racial injustice that is very prevalent today through systemic racism in education, health, justice, income, employment and housing.
It is wrong to ignore or deny true history because it is too painful or shameful. It is the job of white people to be enlightened about racism. “You folk who made this mess, I reckon you owe us to clean it up!”
Anne Smiley serves as Education Chair for Organizing Against Racism in Cumberland County. She lives in Fayetteville.
Note: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this column had a headline with an incorrect date for the killing in Oxford, North Carolina.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: I re-read a book on a NC racial killing as play comes to Fayetteville
