Sundown Towns

Sundown towns are also known as sunset towns or grey towns. These towns are supposed to represent no people of color are allowed to be in their city limits during sunset. Some towns would play a specific horn sound to warn the people of color to get out of town now. There are places where it is listed on their city limit signs, “No N*ggers Allowed After Sunset.”

How did these towns form? After the reconstruction era, many cities and counties took up this law of becoming a sundown town to impose Jim Crow laws and, of course, for the Klan to walk freely. Some towns still participate to this day in letting know that black people aren’t allowed in their city limits after dark. Some start ringing a bell around 6:00 pm to make the black people know it is now time to leave. A warning because they will terrorize the black people by burning crosses in their yards, chase them out of their city limits, or worse case lynching those that they caught.

Sundown towns became in exisitance right around the ending of the reconstruction period. Sundown towns were strict on Jim Crow laws and decided to allow black people to work in their towns. However, black people could not be in their towns after dark. Being black during this time and even today as a black person you always had to be mindful of what areas you would go into, not all welcomed black people.

If caught in a Sundown town the punishment could be simple as the Klan running you out of their side of town, to possibly being lynched or if a woman sexually assualted and lynched. The unimaginable would take place so it was imperative if you heard the alarm letting you know its time to leave time you listened.

Black people were harassed, denied shelther, they were not able to eat at certain places because they would be denied survice. If caught other places you and your family could pay with your life. That is when Victor Hugo Green came up with the idea of The Negro Motorist Green Book.

If caught in a Sundown town the punishment could be simple as the Klan running you out of their side of town, to possibly being lynched or if a woman sexually assaulted and lynched. The unimaginable would take place so it was imperative if you heard the alarm letting you know its time to leave. There use to be a saying when traveling, “we don’t want to get caught here after dark.” It was a vibe, somewhere you know that your skin color was not welcome after a specific time in certain towns.

The Negro Motorist Green Book was a traveling book published is 1936 for black people to travel safely across the country after the reconstruction era. The Green Book explained to them what towns they could stop in to get food and gas. What roads and highways were safe for them to travel without running into a Sundown town or the Ku Klux Klan. Most black people during this time decided to drive to avoid the laws of segregation on public transportation. Driving yourself was a little bit more safer, especially if you knew what highways to travel down safely. Also, where you can stop and get gas and lodging as well peaceful as possible.

Lastly, Do you have a Sundown story that you would love to share? I would love to know if I am the only one who knows even in this day and age if I am welcome or not somewhere? What was your experience with a Sundown town?

Reference:

THE SHAMEFUL EXISTENCE OF SUNDOWN TOWNS IN AMERICA

https://blackthen.com/the-shameful-existence-of-sundown-towns-in-america/

Sundown Towns still live

https://destee.com/threads/sundown-towns-still-live.86377/

Modern Civil Rights Movement

https://teachinghistory.org/history-content/beyond-the-textbook/24318?subpage=2

Traveling while Black: ‘Green Book’ guides still resonate today

https://spokesman-recorder.com/2018/11/29/traveling-while-black-green-book-guides-still-resonate-today/

Special Report: Examining Hidden History of Ozark Sundown Towns

https://images.app.goo.gl/BBKME82nuURv2Azz6