TTHHE SUNDOWWN TOWWNN NNEWWSS VOL.. 1 A PUBLICATION DEDIICATED TO THE ABOLITION OF ITS SUBJJECT MATTER. NO. 2

KIING’’S DREAM – BETTER LEGAL ACTION NEEDED THAN NEVER IIN ELWOOD by James Loewen

For the second year Martin Luther any sundown towns — King Jr. Day was celebrated in probably more than half Elwood, Indiana, a for M— have given up their most of the twentieth century. The M exclusionary residential policies. “love walk,” comprised of two dozen Others still make it uncomfortable people marching in downtown or imprudent for African Elwood, included Merrill Taylor, the Americans to live in them. In town’s mayor, who declared the event 2008, 44 years after the 1964 "awesome." Marchers also included Civil Rights Act said that a from the nearby restaurant could not exclude on town of Muncie. (Census data has the basis of race, entire Picketers demonstrating at the home of Elwood’s 2000 population at communities still do, although not an African American family that moved 9,737,including 5 African formally, of course. Surely this is into a sundown neighborhood in Miami Americans.) an affront to a society allegedly in 1957. At last year’s march, the SWAT governed by democratically team was out in force, including passed laws. American households to integrate that snipers perched on rooftops. The What is to be done about such housing. march went on without incident. No towns? Absent such responses, federal and such mobilization occurred this year, At a minimum, any town that state governments should stop and again, the march occurred can be shown to have kept out expenditures in towns with sundown without incident. blacks in the past and still pasts and continued overwhelmingly Although a march of two dozen "boasts" an overwhelmingly white white demographies. people -- highlights included a demography should be asked to Chief Judge G. Patrick Murphy of portrayal of Dr. King’s "I have a make three statements: the District Court for dream" speech -- might not appear to — admit it ("We did this.") the Southern District of has be a tipping point in race relations, — apologize ("We did this, and it shown the way. He held up this simple act of coming together is was wrong.") $70,000,000 in federal money from quite an event for a town that has in — proclaim it now welcomes being spent on a new courthouse in recent years been home to the area’s residents of all races ("We did Benton because it is a sundown town. Klan headquarters, a place where they this; it was wrong; and we don't "I think it is fundamentally wrong to still held an annual KKK parade only do it any more.") send the resources of the federal a few years ago, and a town still That third statement should be government, particularly in regard to widely referred to as a “white town.” backed by action. For example, the court system, to a community that "The town as a whole is changing...” towns should also be asked to hire is not diverse and is not enthusiastic a resident at the parade was heard to racial minorities in their schools, about letting our employees say.  street departments, and other participate fully in community life," said Murphy in October, 2002. IN THIS ISSUE: services, and to help such employees and their families find Most small towns in the United Cover Article States have public housing, even if Legal Action Needed…….…...... 1 housing within the community. Sundown Towns in the News Towns with federally supported only a pair of units. In sundown Elwood, IN ……………………... 1 public housing should be required towns, this housing in fact is open to Cullman, AL………………..…… 3 to connect with nearby interracial whites only. HUD must demand Personal Essay towns and select nearby African change. Get Out of Town by Sundown……2 cont. on page 4. Help Wanted…………….….……..3 Steps for Getting Involved…...…5-7 GET OUT OF TOWN BY SUNDOWN!! systematic way in which whites Stamford. A FAMILIAR THEME PLAYED . kept blacks from living near them. Though I only lived in Stamford .....OVER AND OVER AGAIN But I quickly made the for a short time, it was still good to By Willett Thomas connection, eventually getting that find out after a quick census check blacks not wanting to live in a that it didn’t have the stain of a et out of town by sundown,” town, might very well be linked to sundown past. Stamford’s nearby “Gthe sheriff warns the bandit. the existence of a sign at the neighbor, the town of Darien, could The sheriff’s the good guy. We know entrance of that town admonishing not say the same. Darien, this not only because of the tin star them, “Nigger Don’t Let the Sun Connecticut, was first outed as a pinned to his chest, but because he’s Set on You in ____.” "restricted" town in the novel the one dressed in white. The bandit, Understanding this, I still felt “Gentleman's Agreement” for the on the other hand, is the swarthier of safe in assuming that this was a community's overt anti-Semitism, and the two, unshaven and dirty, someone mere blip, a socio-economic as would follow, its restriction you wouldn’t want to tangle with. phenomenon, its origins keeping out blacks and other “Sundown towns” were the topic of predominately found in the South. minorities. discussion as I settled in for my initial Actions ascribed long ago to Now I was on a mission: What indoctrination to my duties and bigoted whites who didn’t know about my mother’s hometown of responsibilities now that I had been any better, and a time when there Arcadia, Florida? Could it have a offered and accepted the position of were few laws to protect people hidden past? I knew realistically that part-time assistant to Jim Loewen, the against such actions. But this this couldn’t be the case. My author of Sundown Towns. wasn’t the case. Much to my grandparents were native Arcadians. Cowboys and bandits, good guys chagrin, I learned that most of My mother lived there a good part of and bad guys, these were my these activities took place in her adult life. But still, I felt childlike thoughts as I sat literally Northern and Midwestern states compelled to ask if she knew if being “schooled” in what the word such as Illinois, Oregon, and Arcadia had a sundown past? She sundown, with all its connotations, Maryland. Some towns continue was sure Arcadia wasn’t one of has come to embody over the past to exhibit both explicit and “them.” Arcadians by and large lived 100 years. implicit acts of intimidation even well with one another, she explained. And what an introduction: I today; while some towns’ “We got all along fine. Whites stayed learned that the powers that be in property records still show deeds mainly on their side of the train these towns (defined as incorporated with covenants listing restrictions tracks, we stayed on our side.” towns, usually with a population over prohibiting African Americans (Arcadia, it’s interesting to note, 1,000, with African Americans and Jews from owning property means paradise.) My father, born in making up less than 10 people or .1 within their borders. Such Louisville, , had a similar percent, and that way on purpose) as incidents also occurred in upbringing to that of my mother. In a way of conducting business with Southern states, but not nearly to the mid to late 50s, he played blacks, and often Jews and other the extent demonstrated by whites professional basketball with the minorities, felt charged to do in Northern states. Globetrotters. Though I never heard whatever necessary: signs, So now, being born in the him speak about the trials of traveling ordinances, outright intimidation, North—Stamford, Connecticut— through what was still then the Jim and/or any combination thereof, to my curiosity was piqued. Could Crow South, I’m sure many of the restrict access to these towns after my birthplace, known for quaint indignities he had to endure were not sundown. I admit to naively summer shore homes and higher so different from blacks being wondering if the lack of an African than average per capita incomes, banished from sundown towns. American presence within these possibly be or have been a And as for my own hometown towns wasn’t something that could be Sundown town? It didn’t seem (I’ve been a resident of D.C. since I attributed to blacks simply not possible, not with its close was two)? Well, obviously, D.C. is wanting to live in the towns. Then proximity to New York City, nobody’s sundown town. It’s has an too, wasn’t it just a tad egotistical to Mecca for all those brave, tired, African American population that for think that all blacks want to live weary, and oh so swarthy decades has topped sixty percent, and anywhere whites decide to make immigrant masses. Even so, if a has been known, mainly in the early camp. This seemed feasible to me, town like Chevy Chase, go-go and disco era of the 70s and less fanciful than what I had heard so Maryland, a tony Washington, 80s as “Chocolate City.” Aren’t there far. A tale spun from whole cloth, a DC, suburb, can demonstrate all plenty of pictures of free blacks and plot twist found in the pages a novel, the markers of being a sundown slaves working side by side from the rather than a true account of the town, maybe this could be true of cont.. on next page

2 1850s, doing their part to build the IS IT SOMETHIING IN THE AIR? Capitol Building? Wasn’t Benjamin Banneker, a free black man, Even as the country tries to instrumental to the city’s design? determine whether it’s the spirit of Duly noted, surely there was nothing change or the surety of experience remotely sundown about Washington, D.C. that will make the difference in the next presidential election, What I hadn’t considered were all Cullman , Alabama, has those thousands of workers, laborers and their families. Where did they go taken a stand firmly on the side of change. to lay their heads after a hard day’s On January 2008, James Fields, work? Truth told, many of an African American, won Washington’s close in suburbs were Alabama’s 12th House District sundown. The list includes the seat. Cullman County is 97% Maryland suburbs of: Mt. Rainer, I WANT YOU TO RESEARCH white. Almost all African Hyattsville, and Brentwood. All, no SUNDOWN TOWNS! Americans live in one small more than a ten minute’s drive from community, formerly called “The the Nation’s Capital. ANALYSTS Colony,” now incorporated as It’s safe to say my initial Compare a sundown and “Colony.” indoctrination to sundown towns left interracial town for economic me no longer sure of those things I His opponent, Wayne Development, politics, Willingham, Republican mayor of once thought of as gospel, and now careers plans of youth, West Point, AL, whose family has open to the idea that some things, no attitudes toward minorities, matter how farfetched they might known ties with the KKK, ran on etc. the Southern Party Ticket. Fields, appear to be, can in fact exist, and a former minister, beat even thrive, without a majority of GIS TECHNICIANS people being aware that it does. Willingham by 1,188 votes, taking Map states by Zip code or almost 60% of the 6,223 ballots So, in the same way film finer units, showing cast. preservationists and historians have distribution of African gone about the business of preserving That an African American man Americans. accomplished this in Cullman, a older films, making sure that every county with a notorious sundown school age child knows that “Get out RECORDS EXAMINERS history, is a milestone.  of town by sundown” is what good Search for sundown guys say to bad guys. It is also the ordinances or newspaper reason why commemorating the WANT TO HELP KEEP THE WHEELS stories that confirm exclusion OF CHANGE ROLLING? existence of sundown towns is in writing. important. Historians understand that Step One: Census Research if something isn’t done to preserve Step Two: Local Histories and WEB CONTENT MANAGER past works and acts, the impact they Step Three: Collect Oral Histories Insert accurate short had on the audience of their time Step Four: Triangulate paragraphs about the would be lost to all; it would be as if Step Six: Read more on how to help exclusive practices of they never happened. …………...on pages 5-7. sundown towns into their entries in Wikipedia. And despite the shame of sundown towns, their existence remain an RESOLUTION SPECIALISTS integral part of this country’s history, Persuade sundown towns to and in order that the impact they had admit their past practices, on communities not be marginalized apologize for them, and move or forgotten, this history must be forward. recorded before time and revisionists make it easy to say, “No, it just REVIEWERS wasn’t so.”  Review books, movies, and museum exhibits that treat sundown towns, or that should treat sundown towns but fail to do so.

3 Legal Action Needed - continued from page 1 Please let me know if you are however, few African Americans Civil rights lawyers should be filing interested in considering legal may seek housing in the community. cases against the more egregious action against a sundown town or The town or county has built a sundown towns. So far they have county. Tell me what place you reputation as an entity, based on not. A key problem has been wish to investigate for possible policies and incidents stretching back plaintiffs. action or ask me for suggestions. for decades. It is not easy for acts by Then I will send my electronic file individual sellers, landlords, or agents Researching sundown towns taught containing what information I to undo this corporate character. me that the 1964 Civil Rights Act and have about that location, including Indeed, the town's upstream actions, other federal and state civil rights contact persons. Some informants along with the reputation they have laws and decisions were not self- I will contact first, to ask if it's built up, may preclude the possibility enforcing. They only got enforced OK to supply their contact of nondiscriminatory acts by when African Americans were information to you, or I will delete individual. discriminated against, objected, and their names while supplying the After someone rents or sells to an took matters to court (or filed information they provided. I am African American family, complaints with appropriate also happy to send you my e-file downstream actions in a sundown agencies). In sundown towns, these for entire states. Then you can town may undo the occupancy. For things rarely happened, partly make your own selection as to example, black children may get because no African Americans lived which towns to investigate or beaten up when they go to school. there. The lone black family that gets litigate. Police may follow, stop, and question the run-around while looking at family members or relatives and homes, the black man who gets Theory of the Case friends who visit them. Or a handful threatened when stopping for coffee Once a community has taken of teenagers may burn a cross on their at a restaurant at night — these folks clear steps to become and remain lawn. Precisely owing to a have no way to know that the a sundown town for decades, that community's racial past, police may problem is general to the entire town. sets up a prima facie case that it feel they should challenge black Nor do they have resources to take — the town — discriminates. The newcomers, whose color by itself the matter to court. Maybe a reader traditional testing routine — marks them as strangers. The 5% of of this newsletter — attorney, official sending white and black would-be the population who might shout racial at HUD or DOJ or a state agency, or homebuyers to individual slurs in any locale feel particularly just a concerned resident — will residences — is not adequate for empowered to do so in a sundown show the way. discovering or resolving the issues town. Testing cannot uncover such that sundown towns raise. Testing problems. How To Proceed is a good way to locate individuals The likelihood of these upstream I have identified towns and — landlords, home sellers, real and downstream problems is counties particularly liable to legal estate agents — who discriminate precisely why the town must at least challenge. These places have against minority would-be make the three statements noted particularly egregious and rather residents. Sundown towns are and above. If it refuses, then the town recent histories of keeping out have been all-white by community itself can be construed to be engaging African Americans. Some have policy, formal or informal. As a in continuing discrimination. We strong local traditions of having result, sundown towns pose cannot reasonably blame African passed ordinances to that effect. problems that traditional testing Americans for not trying to move into None have taken the three steps cannot uncover. These problems a town with a known sundown suggested above. They are located in lie upstream and downstream of reputation when the community has Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, the actual process of renting or done nothing to put its reputation Florida, Georgia, , Illinois, buying. Hence they lie upstream behind it. Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, and downstream of the testing North Carolina, , and process itself. Remedy Texas. Or you may have your own Some landlords, home sellers, Besides asking towns to make the reasons to select a community or and real estate agents in a three statements, reparations might be area. If your possible target lies in a sundown town are willing to rent appropriate in some communities. state not listed above, don't be or sell to African Americans. Whites forced entire African deterred; I may have information Indeed, most may be. Some may American communities out of towns worth sharing about that locale as even want to do so, to help their and counties as recently as 1954, well. community transcend its racial some in response to Brown v. Bd. past. Precisely owing to that past, continued on next page

4 People are still alive who left these (except 1890, most of which was STEP THREE:COLLECT ORAL locales in 1954; others are surely destroyed by fire). This is the raw HISTORIES alive who helped force them out. data of the census. Much of it is The next step is to conduct Maybe you and your students (if you on the web at various sites, interviews, again in person is best. teach) or your paralegals (if you usually by state. Large libraries Ask the librarian in charge of the practice law) would like to bring one and genealogical collections also local history collection if s/he knows of these expulsions to light and to have it on microfilm. A website anything about the absence of blacks. possible legal redress. Let me know. at the University of Virginia Has s/he ever heard it might have There are precedents for reparations. provides the racial proportions of been on purpose? Does s/he know of In 2002-3, Gov. Mike Easley every county from 1790 through any stories (oral history) about apologized to the 7,600 citizens that 1960. anything bad that happened to a black North Carolina had sterilized — If you find a sharp drop in the family that tried to move into the disproportionately people of color black population, that is of course town in the 1920s, 1970s, or any and poor people — and offered them suspicious. If you only find low other decade? health care and education as numbers of African Americans, Follow up by asking the compensation. Florida did the same decade after decade, that too is librarian, "Who knows the most about for the blacks driven from Rosewood suspicious, especially if blacks are the history of the town?" Every town in the 1920s.  hardly absent from nearby towns has an expert. Then interview that and counties or if the town's total person or persons. Ask, "who else STEPS TO BECOMING MORE population is increasing. should I talk with?" Is there a INVOLVED genealogical society? If so, attend its STEP TWO:LOCAL HISTORIES next meeting, after talking with its STEP ONE:CENSUS RESEARCH AND NEWSPAPERS leader. Begin softly, maybe by A first step is to look up the Once you have basic asking what the town's major census information on racial information on the town, go to the employers used to be. Eventually composition in various years. The local libraries (in person) and read ask, "Have you ever heard that [name census provides the racial proportions (skim) any local history books, of town] used to keep out blacks?" of every town in the country with such as centennial histories and Maybe mention that some nearby more than a few hundred inhabitants county histories. Usually the local towns (by name) used to keep out for 2000. Included is information as library has a local history room blacks, and follow by asking if this to age and sex in the black population (or local history shelf, in small community had the same policy. If and number of households with black libraries). Probably you will find folks say yes, then ask how they adult householders. This information nothing about African Americans, heard it, from whom, about when is particularly useful because it but sometimes there are surprises. (year), etc. allows us to avoid misattributing If there are notes on file for the Oral history is fine, so long as it is residential status to African county from the WPA Federal solid. Thus, if a person says "Blacks Americans living in institutions such Writers Project (c.1935-40), skim were not allowed..." follow up by as colleges or prisons or within white those. Also, see if there are asking, "How do you know that?" households as servants. Because vertical files (newspaper Seek details: "Did you ever hear of many sundown towns gave up their clippings) on "blacks," "Negroes," any family that moved in, then left?" prohibitions in the 1990s, even more "segregation," "," etc. Also seek written sources, such useful are the 1990 census figures. and other related topics. as some ordinance about keeping out For 1860-1980, the racial Then you can scan local African Americans (or another composition of your town will be in newspapers for the decade group). The "ordinance," however, the printed census in the bound between two adjacent censuses may be nothing more than a motion volumes of the census at your local that show a sharp decline in black voted on in a city council meeting on library or nearest university library. population, to see if it describes a Tuesday evening in 1911, perhaps Most figures are also available any actions whites took to cause not even noted in the minutes of that online. Get the actual census figures, the decline. Sometimes the meeting, and next to impossible to decade after decade. For small towns nearest newspaper outside the find now. in many years, especially before town in question will be more Repeat this process with the City 1940, the census does not list forthcoming. Clerk and the head of the local population by race, but you can historical society. Bear in mind, amass it yourself from the however, particularly with a local "manuscript census" for any decade history society, that this usually does between 1860 and 1930 inclusive continued on next page

5 not work UNLESS you are there in FUTURE ISSUES WIILL person. Usually these folks just don't TREAT want to say anything bad about their :: town if they can help it. In person, however, they don't want to lie. And GEOGRAPHIC of course, you flatter them by telling INFORMATIION SYSTEMS them (correctly) that they are the expert on the town's history. Another REMEDIES,, LEGAL AND good idea: go to the local nursing OTHERWIISE home, or to places where seniors live or hang out (community center, SRO BIBLIOGRAPHIIC ISSUES: hotel). Interview elderly people. NOVELS,, MOVIES,, AND Take good notes, including "quote PLAYS THAT TREAT notes" (with "") when you actually SUNDOWN TOWNS AND capture the phrase verbatim. Old THOSE THAT DON’’T.. folks love to hold forth on the long- ago past. Also talk with long-time realtors, minority group members in RESEARCH TOPICS nearby towns, and other likely sources. The more people you can SUNDOWN TOWNS AND reach, the more likely you are to JEWS, AMERIICAN IINDIIANS,, discover, and be able to corroborate, AND CHIINESE AMERIICANS something. SIIGNS,, WHIISTLES, SIRENS, STEP FOUR:TRIANGULATE AND ORDIINANCES After you have some information, perhaps from oral history, then you SECOND GENERATION may be able to triangulate with SUNDOWN TOWN additional confirmations from others. PROBLEMS For example, if you hear that your town once had a black or interracial neighborhood and its location, then check the plat book and deeds of sale: did many homes change hands at about the same time? If you learn the approximate date of a racial incident, check the newspaper and also the paper in the county seat or nearest larger town. You can also ask African American senior citizens in the nearest biracial town; they may know something about your town, at least by reputation. Sometimes they know telling details. The manuscript census may even allow you to trace family names from your town to the nearest biracial community, if they left prior to 1930 (the last year it is available).You’ll know best how to proceed at this point once you have a working base of information. 

You’ve got the tools, now get to work!

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