Sundown towns in oklahoma. That’s just here in Oklahoma. Researched, written and directed by esteemed Oklahoma storyteller DWe William s, the new play about a family's sundown town experience will debut at 8 p. Dec 11, 2025 · How sundown towns along Oklahoma’s Route 66 shaped travel Exploring the history of racial segregation and discrimination along Oklahoma’s iconic highway, and how it shaped the experiences of Historical Database of Sundown Towns Select a state from the map below to view a list of sundown towns FL MI ME NY PA VA WV OH IN IL WI NC TN AR MO GA SC KY AL LA MS IA MN OK TX NM KS NE SD ND WY MT CO ID UT AZ […] Sundown towns in Oklahoma This list has 16 members. Residents in these towns could rely on the labor of workers of color during metimes Latinos, Native Americans, Asians, Jewish people, and others. See how states compare to one another in this map. [4] From its establishment until at least 1903, Greer County was a sundown county, prohibiting African Americans from living in the county. NORMAN, Okla. " At one point in the 1920s, it had a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, and from the 1910s until the late 1940s had racially restrictive covenants that kept Black people from purchasing Abstract Sundown regions were post-Reconstruction localities that deliberately excluded African Americans, often well into the 20th century. Learn about a group of Black musicians forced to leave an Oklahoma town. Sundown towns were dangerous places for African Americans. And time of day matters not, but night is worse. ” Sundown Town exhibition co-curators Kristin M. February is Black History Month, and Oklahoma has a storied history with All-Black towns across the state and All-Black districts in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. A way Oklahomans can recognize Black History Month is to learn about the state's history by visiting Oklahoma's historic All-Black districts and towns. Although, some of these towns claim they aren’t sundown towns anymore, it’s important that not all of the residents agree. Category:Sundown towns in the United States by state Subcategories This category has the following 23 subcategories, out of 23 total. Loewen’s groundbreaking book Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism, he writes a sun Until the 1970s, according to the city's history museum, Edmond was a suburban, anti-Black "sundown town. Thursday-Saturday, June 9-11, at the Studio of the Sooner Theatre in downtown Norman. [5] The new Norman was a sundown town. 1860? Don’t Know Unions, Organized Labor? Don’t Know Sundown Town Status Sundown Town in the Past? Surely Was there an ordinance? Don't Know Sign? Don’t Know Year of Greatest Interest Census Information In the case of Norman, the history of African Americans who want-ed to settle there during and after the 1889 Land Run, events took a decidedly disturbing and sinister turn, as a few very brief accounts have mentioned differing time periods when Norman was a sundown town. Discover how Boley, Oklahoma became a safe haven for Black travelers along Route 66 during segregation, offering a thriving community with restaurants, nightclubs, and hotels. m. [1] Sundown towns might include entire sundown counties or sundown suburbs and have historically been strengthened by the local presence of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), a White supremacist organization. Oklahoma In the 1870s and 80s, many African Americans fled the former Confederacy and settled in Oklahoma. IF I LIVED DURING THAT TIME AND HAPPENED TO BE OUT IN ONE OF THOSE TOWNS AFTER SUNDOWN, I COULD’VE BEEN BEATEN, CHASED O OF TOWN Episode 4 of Oklahoma’s Own Route 66 Road Trip uncovers a chapter of history often left out of the Mother Road’s story — the sundown towns that shaped where Black travelers could go, the Oklahoma sundown towns are communities that historically enforced racial segregation by prohibiting Black individuals and other minorities from being present after dark. [8][9] On April 27, 2024, an EF3 tornado struck the town as part of a larger tornado outbreak that affected the Great Plains region, causing two fatalities and extensive damage. “They’re all over the Oklahoma was home to several sundown towns. needed to leave town every day before dark or face d re consequences. Sundown towns are not confined to one state or region; they are found in states across the nation. PERRIS THIS WAS A SCARY TIME FOR PEOPLE WHO LOOKED LIKE ME. The town of Mangum, designated as the county seat in 1886 when it was part of Texas, continued as the seat of Greer County, Oklahoma. EDIT: A sundown town was an all-white town that required African-Americans to be outside of city limits by sundown, or risk arrest (or worse). " It's about the effect of sundown towns and racism and violence," Martin said. [7] Until it was named in a grand jury investigation in 1904, Holdenville was a sundown town where African Americans were not allowed to live or even wait for a train. 1860? Unions, Organized Labor? Sundown Town Status Sundown Town in the Past? Surely Was there an ordinance? Don't Know Sign? Yes, Photo or Written Evidence Year of Greatest Interest 1901 Census Information While former states of the Confederacy instituted state-wide racial caste systems denying African Americans basic political and economic privileges and opportunities, what of localities outside the Deep South? This case study concludes that Norman, Oklahoma, located outside of the Deep South, was a sundown town from 1889 to 1967 or for 78 years. For one thing, the stark racism […] The sundown town database is an interactive map where you can select any state and see a list of all its possible current and historic sundown towns. Often decades of obfuscation have made that difficult. In 1908, a special election ratified this choice over three other candidates for the honor: Bokchito, Blue, and Sterrett (later renamed Calera). A sundown town is one that either directly through ordinances, or indirectly through intimidation and other factors, maintained an all-white population, Article depicts how Norman used extralegal means to maintain its status as a "sundown town," a place where African Americans were not welcome after dark, well into the mid-twentieth century. These communities either unofficially or legally excluded Black people from living in the city through intimidation or physical violence. See also Oklahoma society, Sundown towns in the United States by state, White nationalism in Oklahoma Definition of 'sundown town' and list of cities that historical records indicate may be sundown towns or may have been at some point in their history. The original content was at Category:Sundown towns in Oklahoma. It's not easy to talk about Edmond's past as a "sundown town" unwelcome to Black people. (Ask for their contact info. For decades in the 20 th century, cities in Oklahoma and other states restricted the activities of people of color after dark. City in Oklahoma, United States Prior to the Civil Rights Movement Blackwell had a reputation as a sundown town, 789 having kept out African Americans through violent expulsion and the display of a sign warning them to leave town by sunset. An author who wrote a book on sundown towns found that more than 50 Oklahoma communities were possibly included in that category. On another map, dots help users understand whether an area is a sundown town, with a legend that includes "don't know," "surely," "unlikely/always biracial," and "Black town or township. James Loewen, a pre-eminent sociologist and social justice activist. Later, these places came to be called sundown towns. The Oklahoma Constitutional Convention selected Durant as the county seat for Bryan County, Oklahoma, which would supersede Blue County at statehood. While former states of the Confederacy instituted state-wide racial caste systems denying African Americans basic political and economic privileges and opportunities, what of localities outside the Deep South? This case study concludes that Norman, Oklahoma, located outside of the Deep South, was a sundown town from 1889 to 1967 or for 78 years. According to Heather A. When I was first learning about sundown towns, I came across the work of Dr. African Americans were not allowed to live within the city limits or stay overnight until the early 1960s, [10][11][12][13] nor could they study at the University of Oklahoma. But by the time Oklahoma attained statehood in 1907, Democrats were in control and towns went sundown all over the state. O’Connell in her 2019 paper “ Historical Shadows: The Links between Sundown Towns and Contemporary Black-White Inequality,” “Sundown towns are a key, yet often invisible, piece of our history that reshaped dramatically the social and demographic landscape of the United States. Exploring the history of racial segregation and discrimination along Oklahoma's iconic highway, and how it shaped the experiences of Black travelers. As part of the attack, deputized white men raided a munitions dump, commandeered five airplanes, and dropped dynamite onto the black community, making it the only place in the contiguous United States ever to undergo aerial bombardment. Norman, Edmond, Bartlesville, and many other cities and towns in Oklahoma were sundown towns — there’s a lot of data and resources for nearly all of ‘em. [2] A database contributed by people across the nation underlies these maps and the tables you can generate. Metro Area Politics c. And a pointer, when you contact sources, always ask them if they could recommend someone who might be able to help you, too. Murray, left, and Amy Pence pose at the Moore-Lindsay Historic House Museum in Norman. Doug Hill / For The Transcript On June 1, 1921, whites tried to make Tulsa, Oklahoma, a sundown town. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. Most cities are Sundown Towns, they just no longer call them that, because they find "legitimate reasons" to pull people over. Basic Information Type of Place Independent City or Town Metro Area Politics c. From the website: In the 1870s and 80s, many African Americans fled the former Confederacy and settled in Oklahoma. KOCO’S PERRIS JONES WITH THE STORY. Using Research Information to Helpa Sundown Town Overcome Its Past A first step in opening up sundown towns and suburbs is to show how they became all-white. Cross-referenced with projected 2015 census data, that comes to a population of 957,626 for those areas. (KFOR) – City leaders in one Oklahoma community are publicly condemning and apologizing for a dark period in Oklahoma’s history. [2]. Jan 16, 2025 · As more of Oklahoma's forgotten history is rediscovered, Tougaloo College is keeping a running list of our state's sundown towns. The largest ones were Edmond and Norman. While former states of the Confederacy instituted state-wide racial caste systems denying African Americans basic political and economic privileges and opportunities, what of localities outside the Deep South? This case study concludes that Norman While former states of the Confederacy instituted state-wide racial caste systems denying African Americans basic political and economic privileges and opportunities, what of localities outside the Deep South? This case study concludes that Norman, Oklahoma, located outside of the Deep South, was a sundown town from 1889 to 1967 or for 78 years. The total 2015 projected population of Oklahoma towns under census is 3,006,546, coming to 32%. A lot are warranted but sadly, a lot are not. Leaders of a sundown town often do not want their town’s racial history known. The term "sundown town" derives from the practice of White towns then erecting signage alerting non-Whites to vacate the area before sundown. This case study concludes that Norman, Oklahoma, located outside of the Deep South, was a sundown town from 1889 to 1967 or for 78 years. They were known as ‘sundown towns,&#… Basic Information Type of Place Independent City or Town Metro Area Politics c. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. These communities are sometimes called “sundown towns” because members of discriminated groups were expected to be out of town by sundown (meaning they could not live there). Blackwell's expulsion of its African-American residents around 1893 10 is described in the 1967 book From Slavery to Freedom by John Hope Franklin. Of the ones you named, being familiar with and spent a bunch of time in all three, the only one that you may feel a slight discomfort with is nowata. But Edmond is talking about it, and amending public records. [10] Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, were all- White municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States that practiced a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combination of discriminatory local laws, intimidation or violence. ) Article depicts how Norman used extralegal means to maintain its status as a "sundown town," a place where African Americans were not welcome after dark, well into the mid-twentieth century. Other states definetly still have sundown towns and it’s important to look up that information before you travel. [2] BUT IN OKLAHOMA CITY, ONE PLACE SERVED AS A SAFE HAVEN FOR TRAVELERS. 1860? Unions, Organized Labor? Sundown Town Status Sundown Town in the Past? Surely Was there an ordinance? Don't Know Sign? Perhaps, Some Oral Evidence Year of Greatest Interest Census Information Method of Exclusion Violent Expulsion Threat of Violence Reputation Unknown Main Ethnic Group (s “The first thing you need to know about sundown towns, and what 'Lovecraft Country' gets right, is it’s not a Southern phenomenon,” James Loewen tells Yahoo Life. Category:Sundown towns in Oklahoma Pages in category "Sundown towns in Oklahoma" The following 13 pages are in this category, out of 13 total. During segregation, Boley offered Black travelers a safe haven along Route 66, providing essential services and a thriving community when many other towns were dangerous or unwelcoming. These towns serve as a stark reminder of America's troubling racial history, reflec This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. Some sundown towns posted threatening signs at the town line or blew a loud s While former states of the Confederacy instituted state-wide racial caste systems denying African Americans basic political and economic privileges and opportunities, what of localities outside the Deep South? This case study concludes that Norman, Oklahoma, located outside of the Deep South, was a sundown town from 1889 to 1967 or for 78 years. This list may not reflect recent changes. [This list is a work in progress. There are no sundown towns in Oklahoma I'm aware of, but I'm a white male, so take that how you will. 1860? Unions, Organized Labor? Sundown Town Status Sundown Town in the Past? Probable Was there an ordinance? Perhaps, Some Oral Evidence Sign? Don’t Know Year of Greatest Interest Census Information Method of Exclusion Police or Other Official Action Main Ethnic Group (s) Unknown Group (s) Excluded Black Comments Independent City or Town Metro Area Politics c. Loewen found evidence of sundown ordinances in 22 towns in California, Arizona, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Ohio, and Maryland. 5 In Professor James W. 1z6v, ls31c, 8b5ao, ugypy, soo79, 3thaz, hozr, woau, jjuhd, j4aubb,