This month’s post examines a lesser-known aspect about American inter-racial relations: sundown towns. Similar in theme to my post on being melungeion, this essay honors the memory of George Floyd and celebrates Black History Month .
What Are Sundown Towns?
The definition of a sundown town derives from its name. Also known as sunset towns, gray towns or sundowner towns according to Wikipedia, the term refers to those all-white communities in the United States that practiced a form of racial segregation that excluded non-whites through discriminatory local laws, discrimination, or violence.
Most prevalent before the 1950s, the expression applied to signs that directed ‘colored people’ to leave the vicinity before sundown. Though primarily restricted to towns and small communities, the limitations declared by such signs served suburbs and counties as well. While applied primarily to the black community, such signs aided in excluding many other minority groups as well such as Native Americans, Asians, Latinos, Jews, and Catholics.
History of Sundown Towns
The backstory of the term predates the establishment of the United States. As early as 1714, the province of New Hampshire passed “An Act to Prevent Disorders in the Night.” The practice coincided with the expansion of America settlements across the continent. Laws and signs restricting black immigration appeared in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Iowa well into the 1850s.
However, the establishment of sundown towns reached its zenith with the imposition of Jim Crow laws during and after post-Civil War Reconstruction in 1877. Other related practices such as redlining restricted minority choices were to live and work throughout the first half of the twentieth century.
Only with the rise of the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s did discriminatory laws begin to disappear. And, it was only with the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 which prohibited racial discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing that sundown towns finally began to disappear. Even then, de facto sundown towns continued to exist until the 1980s.
Sundown Towns in the 21st Century
These developments enabled sociologist Heather O’Connell to declare in 2019 that sundown towns are “(primarily) a thing of the past.” However, sociologist and historian James W. Loewen adopted the contrarian viewpoint by declaring that few out of the hundreds of communities that are or had been sundown communities kept official records of such ordinances. Moreover, he noted the persisting effects of sundown towns’ violently enforced segregation even after they had been integrated to a small degree.
Loewen’s assessment concurs with the sociological assessment of Minneapolis during the 2010s when it was revealed that realtors still engaged in redlining neighborhoods based on race and ethnicity. Long a a de facto insturment in the confining blacks to the north side of the city, the practice served as one of many undercurrents that resulted in the murder of George Floyd mentioned above.
Sundown Towns in Media
Unsurprisingly, the topic serves as thematic fodder for a variety of books, plays, and films. Below are listed some of the more prominent examplies depicting the concept:
- Breakfast of Champions, written by Kurt Vonnegut
- The Fugitive Kind, directed by Sydney Lumet
- Gentlemen’s Agreement, directed by Elia Kazan
- Green Book, directed by Peter Farrelly
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, written by Maya Angelou
- Lovecraft Country, directed by Misha Green
- Naked Lunch, written by William Burroughs
Concluding Thoughts
The topic of sundown towns remains a controversial one, to say the least. As Loewen stated above, few municipalities mainstained or are willing to admit they once posted signs and ordinances restricting the appearance of minorities in their communities after sundown. A Wikipedia entry lists towns which adopted these discriminatory measures. In addition, The History of Social Justice website contains a datebase on the topic as well. But, a quick examination of the entries in both sources shows that the “Don’t Know” response dominates most entries under the category of “Sundown Town in the Past?”
Consequently, some readers may question whether such revelations about a town’s history are beneficial or harmful. Doesn’t such exposure serve only to reopen the wound and retraumatize the victims?
Perhaps.
But until researching this topic, I neveer had heard of the term, much less comprehended the scope of the issue, an issue which persists in disguised ways. Therefore, it remains imperative to reveal another unpleasant aspect of the underbelly of American culture. In an era when dissension and otherness grow increasingly suspect and punishable, doesn’t it behoove us to be cognizant of how and why we got this way?
What do you think? Let me know in the Contact form below.
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