Timothy B. Tyson
Author of Blood Done Sign My Name
About the Author
Timothy B. Tyson is a professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Image credit: Courtesy of the publisher
Works by Timothy B. Tyson
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1959
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Education
- Duke University (Ph.D., history)
- Occupations
- professor
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Discussions
Blood Done Sign My Name, Timothy B. Tyson in World Reading Circle (July 2013)
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Lists
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 5
- Members
- 1,596
- Popularity
- #16,155
- Rating
- 4.3
- Reviews
- 51
- ISBNs
- 32
- Languages
- 1
A painful, but important look at US history while asking ourselves "how much has really changed?"
Before going into this book, I had familiarity with the basics of the Emmett Till case, his horrific murder, and the gross miscarriage of justice after his death. Tyson's work provides much more detail about Till's family, the murderers' families, the impact of Till's death on the civil rights movement, and the reactions of other countries to the Till case.
Listening to the book on audio, the book got a bit muddled in the middle as Tyson explained all the various civil rights leaders working throughout the country. I had a hard time keeping the names straight (this might have been easier had I read the text instead of listening to it). The final chapters -- where Tyson offers his analysis vs. a litany of names, dates, and places -- are exceptional.
Make no mistake -- this book will stir thoughts and emotions that will not settle easily. Fourteen year-old Emmett Till was brutally beaten and murdered because he had the "audacity" to whistle at a white woman. In 1955 Mississippi, acquittal for the defendants was a foregone conclusion (part of the defense was that Till "had it coming"). Once acquitted and out of danger of double jeapordy, the defendants -- Milam and Bryant -- spoke quite openly about the murder. Although one would wish that the sentiments in their chilling remarks be relegated to history, it is wise to listen and be aware that sadly, these views continue to exist today:
"Outside Bryant’s grocery, the youths dared Till to ask Carolyn Bryant for a date. He did so. Hearing the tale, Milam and Bryant kidnapped the boy from his great-uncle’s farmhouse intending meerly to beat him, but Till taunted them …and proclaimed his own equality…
‘We were never able to scare him,’ Milam [admitted]. ‘They had just filled him so full of that poison he was hopeless.’
The men took turns smashing Till across the head with their 45s. The boy never yelled, but continued to say things like ‘You bastards, I’m not afraid of you. I’m as good as you are. My grandmother was a white woman.’
Milam made their case, ‘Well, what else could we do? It was hopeless. I’m no bully. I never hurt a ni**er. I like ni**ers – in their place. I know how to work ‘em. But I just decided it was time a few people got put on notice. As long as I live and can do anything about it, ni**ers are gonna stay in their place. Ni**ers ain’t gonna vote where I live -- if they did they’d control the government. They ain’t gonna go to school with my kids. And when a ni**er even gets close to mentioning sex with a white woman, he’s tired of livin’. I’m likely to kill him. Me and my folks fought for this country and we’ve got some rights. G-damn you, I’m gonna make an example of you, so everybody knows where me and my folks stand.’”… (more)