The Black Three

by Gene Skipworth

Overview

Prior to the mid-sixties, Grayville, TN, was one of twenty-four 'sundown towns.' A 'sundown town' was a town that had a sign on the outskirts stating, 'Negros are not allowed in the city limits after sundown.' Very few Black individuals lived in Grayville, and the high school rarely had Black students.

In August of 2020, a Black doctor relocated to Grayville from Weston, Ohio, to be near his adoptive white parents residing in the Homeland Retirement Center in Pleasant Hill. Grayville had never had a Black basketball player; now, it boasts three. The doctor has three sons:

Joseph, a 6' 9" senior, and his twin brothers, Samuel and David, both 6' 6" juniors. The three brothers led Weston to the Ohio State basketball championship. Despite this success, the Cox County youth had grown up with 'culturally absorbed prejudice.' This is the challenge the three Black players encountered.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781964037905
Publisher:	Authors' Tranquility Press
Publication date:	03/14/2024
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.46(d)

About the Author

The Rev. Dr. Gene Skipworth is a retired United Methodist pastor living in Fairfield Glade TN in Cumberland County. “Skip” lives in what is often called, The Bible Belt. For seven years he wrote a column for the Cookeville Herald Citizen for the weekly religion section. He wrote a book about the responses to his articles entitled, Bullied in The Bible-belt.
From 1969-1973, Dr. Skipworth served the Northside United Methodist Church and wrote his first book about his ministry to outlaw motorcycle gangs, Wear Your Color. The gangs tolerated him because the beatings never kept him away and he raced motorcycles.
In the book, The Black Three, he introduces the players in a special way. He also captures the hatred and violence when prejudice raises its ugly head. Reconciliation and harmony is realized when grace is expressed by unexpected persons.