Do You Know - Cove Neck, Darien, and Cedar Key

Sundown towns were “all white” communities that excluded non-whites from residency for decades. The name “sundown” referred to the threatening signs posted at the boundary of these towns, which read “N***, Don’t let the sun go down on you.” Sundown towns were a response to the Great Migration. Concerned with the number of African-Americans moving from the South, these towns employed methods such as illegal real estate practices to keep Blacks out and to drive away those already in residence. 

These towns were established between 1890 to the 1970s. In fact, in 1970, about 70% of the towns in Illinois were designated “Sundown Towns.” These towns were established in many different regions of the United States, from Darien, Connecticut to Glendale, California. It is interesting to note that there were few sundown towns in the South as compared with other regions in the United States. Though primarily concerned with keeping out Black African-Americans, some towns also excluded  Jews, Mexican-Americans, Native-Americans, and Chinese-Americans.

Dr. James Lowen’s book “Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism” shed light on a topic excluded from many history curriculums. 

• What are the implications of this legacy?

• What is the racial demographic of your town? 

• How often do you consider the racial demographics of the spaces in which you travel?