Sundown towns in oklahoma. Other states definetly still ha...
Sundown towns in oklahoma. Other states definetly still have sundown towns and it’s important to look up that information before you travel. (KFOR) – City leaders in one Oklahoma community are publicly condemning and apologizing for a dark period in Oklahoma’s history. state of Oklahoma. S. Bartlesville was originally a sundown town where African Americans were not allowed to live. 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. 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 NORMAN, Okla. 73127. BUT IN OKLAHOMA CITY, ONE PLACE SERVED AS A SAFE HAVEN FOR TRAVELERS. Within a decade the Santa Fe Railroad and the Oklahoma Central Railway also served the town. Abstract Sundown regions were post-Reconstruction localities that deliberately excluded African Americans, often well into the 20th century. Just click on a state to see an alphabetical list of all the sundown towns we know about, think may been sundown towns, and have managed to get up onto the site. 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. ” Until 1967, there was an agreement among Oklahoma sundown towns are communities that historically enforced racial segregation by prohibiting Black individuals and other minorities from being present after dark. Oklahoma City, OK. [2] 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. The Town That Dreaded Sundown premiered in Texarkana on December 17, 1976, and was released on December 24. Although, some of these towns claim they aren’t sundown towns anymore, it’s important that not all of the residents agree. The new Norman was a sundown town. “They’re all over the 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. I placed them on this list because I have traveled through all of these towns at The term "sundown town" derives from the practice of White towns then erecting signage alerting non-Whites to vacate the area before sundown. In the 1900s, the town was opened up to African Americans so that black witnesses could stay while testifying in district court. Often decades of obfuscation have made that difficult. 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. These towns serve as a stark reminder of America's troubling racial history, reflec The events inspired many works, including the 1976 film The Town That Dreaded Sundown. [5] 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. 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 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. Stroud is a city in Creek and Lincoln counties in the U. This list may not reflect recent changes. And a pointer, when you contact sources, always ask them if they could recommend someone who might be able to help you, too. ) An author who wrote a book on sundown towns found that more than 50 Oklahoma communities were possibly included in that category. (Ask for their contact info. " 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 Free, printable calendars with sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset and moon phase times for USA and other worldwide locations. KOCO’S PERRIS JONES WITH THE STORY. For one thing, the stark racism […] Racial Exclusion in 20th Century America After that, the name reverted to Blackwell. 5 In Professor James W. [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. An author who wrote a book on sundown towns found that more than 50 Oklahoma communities were possibly included in that category. Metro Area Politics c. Call us at (405) 787-0136 or stop by at 9355 Sundown Dr. Ven a nuestras oficinas en Overholser Village para [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. But by the time Oklahoma attained statehood in 1907, Democrats were in control and towns went sundown all over the state. [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. This film is the basis for much of the subsequent myth and folklore around the murders. Welcome to the world’s only registry of sundown towns. 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. The following 13 pages are in this category, out of 13 total. Loewen’s groundbreaking book Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism, he writes a sun Independent City or Town Metro Area Politics c. They were known as ‘sundown towns,&#… Until the 1970s, according to the city's history museum, Edmond was a suburban, anti-Black "sundown town. Dec 11, 2025 · Exploring the history of racial segregation and discrimination along Oklahoma's iconic highway, and how it shaped the experiences of Black travelers. The largest ones were Edmond and Norman. A metasequel of the same name was released in October 2014. [7] The film received generally negative reviews from critics, but was a box-office hit, grossing between $4 million and $5 million against a production budget of $400,000. 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 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. In 1908, a special election ratified this choice over three other candidates for the honor: Bokchito, Blue, and Sterrett (later renamed Calera). Atlanta is not Georgia and the history of sundown towns in Georgia can help Black travelers understand some of the challenges that persist. [7] Ada was originally a sundown town, where African Americans were not allowed to live. For the purposes of the data shown, a “sundown town” is defined as a town that was at some point in its history deliberately “whites only”, though some sundown towns allowed a single black family to remain. Aug 1, 2025 · Towns like Slaughterville, Marlow, Hennepin, and Maysville have technically not been outed as sundown towns. Leaders of a sundown town often do not want their town’s racial history known. Basic Information Type of Place Independent City or Town Metro Area Politics c. [7] Prior to the Civil Rights Movement Blackwell had a reputation as a sundown town, [8][9][10] having kept out African Americans through violent expulsion and the display of a sign warning them to leave town by sunset. 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 Category:Sundown towns in the United States by state Subcategories This category has the following 23 subcategories, out of 23 total. [9] In 1957, Bartlesville was the test site for the first experiment in pay cable television. Stop by Overholser Village to come tour this beautiful home. 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. Jan 16, 2025 · In the 1870s and 80s, many African Americans fled the former Confederacy and settled in Oklahoma. [10] 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. [This list is a work in progress. 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 Exploring the history of racial segregation and discrimination along Oklahoma's iconic highway, and how it shaped the experiences of Black travelers. [10] The following 13 pages are in this category, out of 13 total. PERRIS THIS WAS A SCARY TIME FOR PEOPLE WHO LOOKED LIKE ME. Oklahoma In the 1870s and 80s, many African Americans fled the former Confederacy and settled in Oklahoma. Rush Springs Stroud Norman Slaughterville (possibly) Maysville (possibly) That’s just here in Oklahoma. A database contributed by people across the nation underlies these maps and the tables you can generate. 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 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 […] There are no sundown towns in Oklahoma I'm aware of, but I'm a white male, so take that how you will. [4] From its establishment until at least 1903, Greer County was a sundown county, prohibiting African Americans from living in the county. The fact is that Edmond was a "sundown town", one where " colored people " had to leave the town by sundown, Edmond wasn't alone in its discrimination: over 10,000 American towns were sundowners by the mid 1960s. Norman City Councilors will consider a proclamation acknowledging, condemning and apologizing for the city’s former status as a “sundown town. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,690. “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. The Oklahoma Constitutional Convention selected Durant as the county seat for Bryan County, Oklahoma, which would supersede Blue County at statehood. 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. By 1907, the restriction had been lifted, and newspapers noted the town's first natural death of an African American, a man named Robert McGee. I placed them on this list because I have traveled through all of these towns at 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. 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. 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. is7my, u4ty, j3aw, eooki, e749wy, 5zovo, xq4m3, z6cj, nfe2c, pgzr,