The Black Three

About the Book

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 of town that said, “Negros are not allowed in the city limits after sundown.” Very few blacks lived in Grayville. Grayville High School seldom had black students. In August of 2020, a black doctor moved to Grayville. He moved from Weston, Ohio to be near his adopting white parents who lived in the Homeland Retirement Center in Pleasant Hill. Grayville never had a black basketball player, now it has three. The doctor has three sons. Joseph is a 6’ 9” senior and his twin brothers, Samuel and David both 6’ 6” juniors. The three brothers took Weston to the Ohio State basketball championship. Cox County youth grew up to have a “culturally absorbed prejudice.” That is what the three black players encountered.

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.