'Blood' to serve as summer read

A 23-year-old black man lay dead in the middle of a street in a small North Carolina town. The two white men who shot him in the plain view of many witnesses later were acquitted by a jury of their peers.

More than thirty years later, incoming UNC students will discuss the experiences of Timothy B. Tyson, who was a 10-year-old boy living in the town when the murder occurred.

“Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story,” written by Tyson, was unanimously approved by the Summer Reading Program Book Selection Committee on Wednesday morning.

The book details the author’s experiences, including the story of Henry Marrow, the 23-year-old black man killed by two white men on the streets of Oxford after he reportedly insulted a white woman.

“I’ve heard people say that all race means in the South is black and white,” said Academic Adviser Diane McKay, a member of the selection committee.

“Some of the issues in this book may resonate beyond just black and white.”

Committee members came to the table Wednesday with copies of “Blood Done Sign My Name” in hand and selected the book within the first five minutes of the meeting.

“Blood Done Sign My Name” received the nod ahead of the other two finalists, “Mountains Beyond Mountains” by Tracy Kidder and “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel.

“I’m absolutely convinced that this is the best book among the three,” McKay said.

Other committee members echoed the sentiment, saying that the letters they received in response to The Daily Tar Heel article published last week helped solidify their decision.

The Summer Reading Program, now in its seventh year, has been a source of controversy in the past.

In 2002, five people, including three UNC students, filed a lawsuit in response to the selection of “Approaching the Qur’an: The Early Revelations,” translated and introduced by Michael Sells. The plaintiffs alleged that the book, a collection and analysis of 35 short suras, or passages, from the chief holy book of Islam, violated the separation of church and state.

The next year, “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America” by Barbara Ehrenreich also received myriad criticism from conservative students and groups for its perceived liberal bias.

“It’s impossible to find a book that someone isn’t going to make hay with,” said committee member Cookie Newsom, director of diversity education and research in the Office of Minority Affairs.

“Blood Done Sign My Name” received several nominations in the initial phase, in which more than 200 participants — including students, faculty and community members — submitted suggestions.

The summer reading criteria specify that a work must be intellectually stimulating, provoke thoughtful discussion and address a topic that students can apply to themselves.

Committee member Hannah Poston, a sophomore art major, said:

“I think the question, ‘What surprised you about this book?’ will fuel entire discussions sometimes.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.