I never heard of Sundown Towns until yesterday. I was shocked.

Sundown Towns peaked in the 1970's. Some towns even had signs telling you that they were one. They still exist today.

What do you know about them?

not a thing, what are they??

never heard the term...be seeing you

Never heard of them, thank God for Google

Sundown towns - a city, town or a community in the United States where non-whites — especially African Americans — were systematically excluded from living in or passing through after the sun went down.

Ok, according to Wikipedia, which I always think is somewhat suspect but a place to start:

A sundown town is a neologism coined in 2005 by James Loewen to refer to a community in the United States where non-whites — especially African Americans — were systematically excluded from living in or passing through after the sun went down. This allowed maids and workmen to provide unskilled labor during the day. They came into existence in the late 19th century during what sociologists have described as the nadir of American race relations. Sundown towns existed throughout the nation, but more often were located in the northern states that were not pre-Civil War slave states. There have not been any de jure sundown towns in the country since the legislation in the 1960s inspired by the American Civil Rights Movement, though de facto sundown towns existed at least into the 1970s. Sundown towns have not been shown to exist in the United States since the 1980s

I've actually heard of these but not with that particular designation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundown_town


although they are not accepted in todays society...they do exist!!!


I can take you to 4 right now in la

Really? That's kind of scary and sad in today's world. I guess I can't say it surprises me that much, racism is still alive and kicking, if more covert.

I've been hearing about it on NPR News, my city's news, and CNN.

interesting i never lived in a town or city like that...

I read this about it:

The historical fact is that if you're a middle-class white American, the odds are overwhelmingly good that the town you live in, right now, is a sundown town -- or was one at some point in the not-so-distant past.

Ditto me neither and would not want to.

You mean, Los Angeles is more than just one town?

when I lived in TX ...I traveled alot for work.
theirs towns that wont serve white people either.
I had to go in and order and bring them their food!!!

worked for me though......they didnt know the burger wasnt 17.95

You probably did and didn't know it.

wow .. just WOW

In the 60's and 70's I lived In Seattle Wa. and a nearby suburb Federal Way..... there were all colors of people in the schools i went to ...

You better wikipedia that mr_music

I found this, Buttons. There are other sources that say that Seattle was one. I didn't know that my city was one either.


http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2007/01/eliminationism-in-america-vii.html