Welcome to the website of author and journalist Bill Sizemore.
Bill Sizemore spent eight years researching and writing the story of his slaveowning Virginia ancestors, their slaves, and the descendants of those slaves.
The author's great-great-great-grandfather was a small-time tobacco farmer in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. In contrast to large planters with hundreds of slaves, he was far more typical: He owned fewer than 20. The book traces the lives of generations of African-Americans who descended from his slaves, up to the present day.
Recent Blog Posts
At last, sweet freedom for Jens Soering
After nearly 34 years behind bars, my friend and co-author Jens Soering has finally won some measure of justice. The Virginia Parole Board has paroled…
Happy second century, Uncle George!
Here’s a milestone that I can’t let pass unnoticed: My friend, mentor and inspiration George Sizemore celebrated his 100th birthday this week. Uncle George, as…
It’s time for fall book talks
My dog-and-pony shows about my family’s slave-owning history resume this fall with an appearance in Virginia Beach. I’ll give an illustrated lecture, “Overcoming Amnesia: Uncovering…