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
A series of fortunate summer book events
Summer is for reading (among other things), so it seems like a good time for another spate of book talks and signings. Here’s the schedule…
Podcast and movie probe a notorious Virginia murder case
One of the most gripping true-crime stories of the 20th century is getting some new – and richly deserved – national attention. And it all…
A new, diverse take on slavery’s legacy
Slowly but surely, Americans are coming to grips with the painful legacy of slavery, our nation’s original sin. I told the story of my slave-owning…