In his book, Blood Done Sign My Name, author Timothy Tyson tells the story of the highly combustible racial atmosphere in the American South before, during and after the Jim Crow era. Unlike Margaret Mitchell's account of the glory and greatness of the Antebellum South, Tyson exposes the reader to the horrific and brutal reality that the black race experienced on a daily basis. Tyson highlights the double standard that existed during this period in history, arguing that the hypocrisy of the "white" Southern justice system allowed the murder of a young black African-American man at the hands of white racists to go unpunished ( Tyson 2004, 244). The hypocrisy and double standards that allowed whites to harm blacks without fear of retaliation had existed for years before the murder Tyson spoke about in May 1970 (Tyson 2004, 1). The lynching of black men was commonplace in the South as Billie Holiday sang her song “Strange Fruit” and the eyes of justice looked the other way. On the other side of the coin, justice was delivered quickly to black people who overstepped the boundaries and harmed the white race. Take for example Nate Turner, the slave who led a rebellion against whites. Even the Teels brought their own form of justice to Henry Marrow because he “said something” to one of their white wives (1). A few years later we turn to the era of Jim Crow and the struggle for civil rights, many, but not all members of the younger generation view members of the black and white races as equal and struggle to understand that only a few years ago, the atmosphere surrounding race relations was anything but pleasant. Whites and blacks have coexisted for hundreds of years, but as Tyson points out... middle of paper ... however, it also represents every drop of blood shed by the poor souls who suffered. during the tumultuous time in our nation's history. As Tyson stated, “The sacrifice has been made before, in the depths of slave ships, at the gates of Ellis Island, in the tobacco fields of North Carolina, and in the sweatshops of New York” (319). As a nation, we have made great strides in improving race relations, but that does not mean racism has disappeared. As was pointed out during the course on the Civil Rights Movement, many things have improved, but the fight for civil rights must continue because oppression is still ongoing in our own state, as has been made clear on the issue of suppressing voters' rights. . Racism is not born in humanity, racism is taught. This shows that if hatred can be taught, then love and respect for others can also be taught..