tincin
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,415
Jul 25, 2014 4:55:32 GMT
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Post by tincin on Jan 18, 2025 16:08:35 GMT
Wow, is this for real?! When I read this thread title, I assumed a "sundown town" was somewhere a lot of older people go to live, in their so-called twilight years. Sad to find out it's something this heinous and shameful. I wonder if this guy really did stumble upon the town by accident, or did he stop there deliberately to bring this disgrace to national and global attention? That's probably not the case, but the thought popped into my head, not having seen the TT. Do you honestly believe a Black man would risk his life just to disgrace this nation and bring global attention? Hell, we have a racist becoming president next week that’s disgraceful enough we don’t need any extra. I’d be willing to bet a lot of money that this guy did it accidentally. I don’t know many people who would be willing to risk their lives when they could simply do an article or video about it. |
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Post by rainangel on Jan 18, 2025 16:59:13 GMT
I first heard about it from the tv-show ‘Lovecraft Country’ in 2020. It is set in the 50’s, and has a scene where a black couple enter a Sundown town. I had to look it up, and sure enough, they existed. I am sad to hear they still do.
Is ‘Green Book’ about a travel guide for black people? Because writing a safe travel guide for black people was the occupation of a character in ‘Lovecraft Country’.
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Post by bossymom on Jan 18, 2025 17:18:40 GMT
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Post by bc2ca on Jan 18, 2025 17:26:04 GMT
Is ‘Green Book’ about a travel guide for black people? Because writing a safe travel guide for black people was the occupation of a character in ‘Lovecraft Country’. Green Book movie is about a Black classical pianist on a concert tour with a White driver/bodyguard in the early 60s. The record label gives the driver a copy of The Negro Motorists Green Book that guides them on motels, gas stations, restaurants, etc., that will serve them in the south. I can't remember where I first heard about sundown towns, but always associated them with the south until DH and I were in northern Idaho 30ish years ago and stopped for gas in a teeny, tiny super rural mountain spot. If we didn't need the gas, we would have just got back into the truck and driven off without looking back it was so scary. It is the only time in my life that I felt unseen eyes (and guns) were on me. |
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Post by monklady123 on Jan 18, 2025 18:10:01 GMT
I think it's sad that someone stuck the politics label on a thread about racism.  |
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Post by tmarschall on Jan 18, 2025 18:33:24 GMT
Yes. And before they get linked purely to the South, Oregon was big on sundown towns, eg. Indiana too. |
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Post by Laurie on Jan 18, 2025 19:48:50 GMT
This is not accurate for my state. Did I miss where it stated what they used to qualify it as a sundownctown? |
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Post by mom on Jan 18, 2025 20:01:36 GMT
I have heard of sundown towns, but didn't realize this is what they meant. I always thought they meant towns that were slowing going away because of people moving off.
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Post by gracieplusthree on Jan 18, 2025 20:06:33 GMT
I'm in southeast tn. Surrounded by small towns i wouldn't be surprised at all if they were sundown towns..
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,975
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Jan 18, 2025 20:11:50 GMT
Definitely heard of them.
Not surprised they still exist.
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Post by rainangel on Jan 18, 2025 20:40:15 GMT
Is ‘Green Book’ about a travel guide for black people? Because writing a safe travel guide for black people was the occupation of a character in ‘Lovecraft Country’. Green Book movie is about a Black classical pianist on a concert tour with a White driver/bodyguard in the early 60s. The record label gives the driver a copy of The Negro Motorists Green Book that guides them on motels, gas stations, restaurants, etc., that will serve them in the south. Thanks, it sounds like the same book referred to in ‘Lovecraft Country’. |
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Post by malibou on Jan 18, 2025 20:57:48 GMT
I just looked at the map that lists sundown towns. I was relieved to see I haven’t lived in one. I was also shocked at how big some of the “towns” are in California. There are many full blown cities on the list, and the CA list is looooong. Horrifyingly long. Longer than Texas,  |
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Tearisci
Pearl Clutcher
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Member is Online
Nov 6, 2018 16:34:30 GMT
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Post by Tearisci on Jan 18, 2025 21:00:30 GMT
I don't know that that list is accurate as of today. There are sundown towns listed in my state that are very large and have amlarge non-white population.
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Post by epeanymous on Jan 18, 2025 22:03:13 GMT
Yes. And before they get linked purely to the South, Oregon was big on sundown towns, eg. Indiana too. I remember as a teen learning that Indiana was ground zero for the KKK basically and being really surprised. |
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RosieKat
Drama Llama
PeaJect #12
Posts: 5,690 
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Post by RosieKat on Jan 18, 2025 22:39:54 GMT
I've known what they are for as long as I can recall. I did grow up in the South in general, and my parents were very pro-civil rights, so I imagine those were both factors.
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Post by CarolinaGirl71 on Jan 18, 2025 22:45:07 GMT
I grew up in the South and have lived most of my life in the South, except for a few years in Northern Virginia. I had never heard of this and I am old!
This is copied from the Amazon synopsis of the book - apparently most of these towns were NOT in the south,
"Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism Paperback – Illustrated, July 17, 2018
by James W. Loewen (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,142 4.3 on Goodreads 1,903 ratings
See all formats and editions
"Powerful and important . . . an instant classic."
―The Washington Post Book World
The award-winning look at an ugly aspect of American racism by the bestselling author of Lies My Teacher Told Me, reissued with a new preface by the author
In this groundbreaking work, sociologist James W. Loewen, author of the classic bestseller Lies My Teacher Told Me, brings to light decades of hidden racial exclusion in America. In a provocative, sweeping analysis of American residential patterns, Loewen uncovers the thousands of "sundown towns"―almost exclusively white towns where it was an unspoken rule that blacks weren't welcome―that cropped up throughout the twentieth century, most of them located outside of the South.
(not bolded on Amazon, my choice to highlight it).
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seaexplore
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Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Jan 18, 2025 22:49:45 GMT
I just looked at the map that lists sundown towns. I was relieved to see I haven’t lived in one. I was also shocked at how big some of the “towns” are in California. There are many full blown cities on the list, and the CA list is looooong. Horrifyingly long. Longer than Texas, Living in CA, I looked it up- seems that the CA list has lots of towns (111 to be exact) but most have passed "resolutions" that they aren't anymore? |
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Post by Zee on Jan 18, 2025 23:06:23 GMT
Heard of them in Illinois
Obviously not enforced, often a case of an old law on the books that was never removed
But should be
My BF grew up in a town with that law and her HS had a Confederate flag and "rebel" mascot. In middle IL. Finally removed the flag in the 2000s
I was shocked. SHOCKED. Like, we're not even a Confederate state.
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PLurker
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Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
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Post by PLurker on Jan 22, 2025 22:17:37 GMT
Yep, disgusting isn't it? I grew up knowing about them because I live near Lake Geneva that although I don't believe had written ordinances declaring it so, it was a reported sundown town and discriminated against both black people and Jewish people. Day trip resort area for rich Chicagoans is what it preferred to be. Not far from there, a 5 minute-ish drive east of town there is a lake that black people developed for themselves. Many of the street names are named after prominent black people in history. In the 50s a Chicago Bear tried to buy it up and turn it white, I believe. My mom loved history so probably first became aware from her. Oh, Google is my friend. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Ivanhoe,_Wisconsin I was also reminded recently when Trump was campaigning a lot in Wisconsin. Somebody made the suggestion that he was only going to Sundown towns. My curiosity got the best of me and I looked up where they all were. I came to the conclusion that although I wouldn't put it past him, I had to give him a pass on that. Not many places he could go that wasn't definitely (written ordinances) a sundown town or just widely known and/or suspected. Frickin crazy. Mostly gross. The link above takes you to different Lake ivanhoes, click on the Wisconsin one then "history" drop-down |
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Post by NanaKate on Jan 23, 2025 0:21:13 GMT
I live in Texas (gasp!) and never heard of this
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MizIndependent
Drama Llama
Quit your bullpoop.
Posts: 5,927
Jun 25, 2014 19:43:16 GMT
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Post by MizIndependent on Jan 23, 2025 16:51:04 GMT
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Post by hopechest on Jan 23, 2025 22:04:30 GMT
I do know what they are, but only in the last few years. My husband used to travel a lot for work and came across them fairly often. Just disgusting.
I put it in the same category as the Black Wall Street. I.had.no.idea.
For as white-washed as the history I learned was back in the 80's, I can't even imagine what it will be now.
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