Sundown towns , also known as sunset towns , gray towns , or sundowner towns , were all- white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States . They were towns that practice a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combination of discriminatory local laws, intimidation or violence. They were most prevalent before the 1950s. The term came into use because of signs that directed " colored people " to leave town by sundown .
39-542: Oak Grove Heights is a city in Greene County , Arkansas , United States. The population was 889 at the 2010 census. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 7.9 km (3.0 mi), of which 7.9 km (3.0 mi) is land and 0.33% is water. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 889 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town
78-436: A household in the county was $ 30,828, and the median income for a family was $ 37,316. Males had a median income of $ 27,535 versus $ 20,375 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 16,403. About 9.90% of families and 13.30% of the population were below the poverty line , including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 12.80% of those age 65 or over. Over the past few election cycles, Greene County has swung hard towards
117-459: A national highway was made through the area, and the county seat was moved to Gainesville, which had a reputation as rather lawless. The seat remained there until 1883, when it was transferred to the new town of Paragould. The people in Gainesville opposed the move, and shots reportedly were fired, since tempers were high. The courthouse was built in 1888 and survives in downtown Paragould. In
156-544: A sharp drop in the Black population between two censuses. The earliest legal restrictions on the nighttime activities and movements of African Americans and other racial minorities date back to the colonial era . The general court and legislative assembly of New Hampshire passed "An Act to Prevent Disorders in the Night" in 1714: Whereas great disorders, insolencies and burglaries are oft times raised and committed in
195-616: A small degree, a phenomenon he called "second-generation sundown towns." African Americans were not the only minority group not allowed to live in white towns. One example, according to Loewen, is that, in 1870, Chinese people made up one-third of Idaho 's population. Following a wave of violence and an 1886 anti-Chinese convention in Boise , almost none remained by 1910. The towns of Minden and Gardnerville in Nevada had an ordinance from 1917 to 1974 that required Native Americans to leave
234-570: Is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas . As of the 2020 census , the population was 45,736. The county seat is Paragould , which sits atop Crowley's Ridge . Greene County is included in Jonesboro–Paragould Combined Statistical Area . The first settler in the area was Benjamin Crowley, who arrived from Kentucky in 1821 and made his home about 12 miles (19 km) west of Paragould. Greene County
273-717: Is impossible to count precisely the number of sundown towns at any given time because most towns have not kept records of the ordinances or signs that marked the town's sundown status. He further noted that hundreds of cities across America have been sundown towns at some point in their history. Additionally, Loewen wrote that sundown status meant more than just African Americans being unable to live in those towns. Any Black people who entered or were found in sundown towns after sunset were subject to harassment, threats and violence, including lynching . The U.S. Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education declared segregation of schools unconstitutional in 1954. Loewen speculates that
312-591: The English Poor Laws , which were implemented in the Kingdom of England during the Tudor period to restrict the movements of England's poor. These laws, which were implemented to ensure that municipal authorities were under no legal obligation to care for vagrants , proved to be a source of inspiration for American officials who aimed to prevent Black Americans from settling in their communities. Following
351-498: The U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Buchanan v. Warley in 1917. Ultimately, the court decided that the laws passed in Louisville were unconstitutional, thus setting the legal precedent that similar laws could not exist or be passed in the future. However, this outcome did not stop towns from excluding black residents. Some city planners and real estate companies exercised their private authority to uphold racial segregation at
390-490: The United States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Greene County are listed below; listed in parentheses are
429-470: The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and especially since the Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibition of racial discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing, sundown towns gradually disappeared, with de facto sundown towns existing into the 1980s. However, as sociologist James W. Loewen wrote in his 2005 book, Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism , it
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#1732791858708468-595: The "Green Book") was an annual segregation-era guidebook for African American motorists, published by New York travel agent and former Hackensack, New Jersey , letter carrier Victor H. Green . It was published in the United States from 1936 to 1966, during the Jim Crow era, when discrimination against non-whites was widespread. Road trips for African Americans were inconvenient and in some cases dangerous because of racial segregation, racial profiling by police,
507-570: The Chinese out of town and then burned down the Chinatown section of the city. Chinese Americans were also excluded from most of San Francisco, leading to the establishment of Chinatown . Described by former NAACP President Julian Bond as "one of the survival tools of segregated life", The Negro Motorist Green Book (at times titled The Negro Traveler's Green Book or The Negro Motorist Green-Book , and commonly referred to simply as
546-514: The GOP. The last Democrat to carry this county was Al Gore in 2000. Twenty years later, Joe Biden failed to even garner twenty percent of the county's vote. Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However,
585-498: The United States. She argues that immigration laws and ordinances in certain municipalities could create situations similar to those experienced by African Americans in sundown towns. Hispanic Americans are likely to suffer, despite the purported target being undocumented immigrants, in these cases of racial exclusion. From 1851 to at least 1876, Antioch, California , had a sundown ordinance that barred Chinese residents from being out in public after dark. In 1876, white residents drove
624-420: The age of 18 living with them, 71.6% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.07. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under
663-463: The age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $ 31,979, and the median income for a family was $ 37,083. Males had a median income of $ 25,333 versus $ 18,000 for females. The per capita income for
702-590: The case caused some municipalities in the South to become sundown towns: Missouri , Tennessee and Kentucky saw drastic drops in African-American populations living in those states following the decision. In 2019, sociologist Heather O'Connell wrote that sundown towns are "(primarily) a thing of the past". However, historian James W. Loewen notes persisting effects of sundown towns' violently enforced segregation even after they may have been integrated to
741-431: The cities, towns, and/or census-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township. School districts include: Former districts: 36°06′21″N 90°33′41″W / 36.10583°N 90.56139°W / 36.10583; -90.56139 Sundown town Sundown counties and sundown suburbs were created as well. While the number of sundown towns in the United States decreased following
780-413: The city. As of the 2010 census , there were 42,090 people living in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 95.4% White, 0.6% Black, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, <0.1% from some other race and 1.1% from two or more races. 2.1% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the 2000 census , there were 37,331 people, 14,750 households, and 10,708 families living in
819-478: The community level. In addition to discriminatory housing rules, violence and harassment were sometimes used by locals to discourage Black people from remaining in their cities after sundown. Whites in the North were threatened by the increased minority populations moving into their neighborhoods, and racial tensions started to build. Interracial violence became more common, sometimes escalating to race riots . After
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#1732791858708858-415: The county. The population density was 65 people per square mile (25 people/km ). There were 16,161 housing units at an average density of 28 units per square mile (11 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 97.45% White , 0.13% Black or African American , 0.42% Native American , 0.17% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.47% from other races , and 1.34% from two or more races. 1.16% of
897-477: The early 20th century, Clay , Greene, and Craighead counties had sundown town policies forbidding African Americans from living in the area. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 580 square miles (1,500 km ), of which 578 square miles (1,500 km ) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km ) (0.3%) is water. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 45,736 people, 17,254 households, and 12,280 families residing in
936-468: The end of the Reconstruction era , thousands of towns and counties across the United States became sundown localities, as part of the imposition of Jim Crow laws and other segregationist practices. In most cases, the exclusion was official town policy or was promulgated by the community's real estate agents via exclusionary covenants governing who could buy or rent property. In others, the policy
975-542: The end of the civil rights movement in 1968, some commentators hold that certain 21st-century practices perpetuate a modified version of the sundown town. Discriminatory policies and actions distinguish sundown towns from towns that have no Black residents for demographic reasons. Historically, towns have been confirmed as sundown towns by newspaper articles, county histories, and Works Progress Administration files; this information has been corroborated by tax or U.S. census records showing an absence of Black people or
1014-538: The last of which was not repealed until 1926. Outside Oregon, other places looked to laws and legislation to restrict Black people from residing within cities, towns and states. In 1853, new black residents were banned from moving to the state of Illinois. Those new residents who remained more than ten days and were unable to pay the fine were to be punished by forced labor. Although this law faced significant resistance, especially in Illinois' small black community, it
1053-650: The majority of municipalities in Illinois ." The Green Book also advised drivers to wear, or have ready, a chauffeur's cap and, if stopped, relate that "they were delivering a car for a white person." On June 7, 2017, the NAACP issued a warning to prospective African-American travelers to Missouri. This is the first NAACP warning ever covering an entire state. The NAACP conference president suggested that, if prospective African-American travelers must go to Missouri, they travel with bail money in hand. Many suburban areas in
1092-728: The night time by Indian, Negro, and Molatto Servants and Slaves to the Disquiet and hurt of her Majesty's subjects, No Indian, Negro, or Molatto is to be from Home after 9 o'clock. Notices emphasizing and re-affirming the curfew were published in The New Hampshire Gazette in 1764 and 1771. Following the American Revolution , Virginia was the first state to prohibit the entry of all Free Negros . According to historian Kate Masur, American laws restricting where Black people could live drew inspiration from
1131-509: The phenomenon of travelers just "disappearing" , and the existence of numerous sundown towns. According to author Kate Kelly, "there were at least 10,000 'sundown towns' in the United States as late as the 1960s; in a 'sundown town' nonwhites had to leave the city limits by dusk, or they could be picked up by the police or worse. These towns were not limited to the South—they ranged from Levittown, New York , to Glendale, California , and included
1170-442: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 14,750 households, out of which 33.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.40% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
1209-486: The territory altogether . Those who failed to leave were liable to receive lashings under a law known as the "Peter Burnett Lash Law", named for Provisional Supreme Judge Peter Burnett . No persons were ever lashed under the law; it was quickly amended to replace lashing with forced labor, and eventually repealed the following year after a change in the makeup of the legislature. However, additional laws aimed at African Americans entering Oregon were ratified in 1849 and 1857,
Oak Grove Heights, Arkansas - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-828: The town was $ 12,603. About 7.9% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 19.2% of those age 65 or over. It is in the Paragould School District . Two schools are in Oak Grove Heights: Oak Grove Elementary School (grades 2-4) and Oak Grove Middle School (grades 5-6). Zoned schools of Oak Grove Heights that are in Paragould are: Paragould Primary School (PreKindergarten-Grade 1), Paragould Junior High School (Grades 7-8), and Paragould High School (9-12). Greene County, Arkansas Greene County
1287-437: The towns by 6:30 p.m. each day. A whistle, later a siren, was sounded at 6 p.m. daily, alerting Native Americans to leave by sundown. In 2021, the state of Nevada passed a law prohibiting the appropriation of Native American imagery by the mascots of schools, and the sounding of sirens that were once associated with sundown ordinances. Despite this law, Minden continued to play its siren for two more years, claiming that it
1326-401: Was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.95. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males. The median income for
1365-489: Was 97.4% White, 1.0% Black, 0.1% Native American and 0.2% Asian. 1.2% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the census of 2000, there were 727 people, 264 households, and 218 families living in the town. The population density was 92.3/km (239.0/mi). There were 282 housing units at an average density of 35.8/km (92.7/mi). The racial makeup of the town was 99.04% White , and 0.96% from two or more races. There were 264 households, out of which 37.5% had children under
1404-552: Was a nightly tribute to first responders . An additional state law in 2023 led Minden to end the siren. Two examples of the road signs documented during the first half of the 20th century include: In her 2011 article "Preemption, Patchwork Immigration Laws, and the Potential for Brown Sundown Towns" in the Fordham Law Review , Maria Marulanda outlines the possibility for non-blacks to be excluded from towns in
1443-407: Was enforced through intimidation. This intimidation could occur in several ways, including harassment by law enforcement officers. Though no sundown towns exist today in the sense of publicly or legally excluding non-white residents, some commentators have applied the term to towns practicing other forms of racial exclusion. In 1844, Oregon , which had banned slavery, banned African Americans from
1482-499: Was formed on November 5, 1833, out of portions of Lawrence County and originally contained parts of present Clay and Craighead counties. The county was named for Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene . The first county seat was in Benjamin Crowley's home. By 1836, when Arkansas became a state, the county seat was located in a settlement called "Paris" (not to be confused with present-day Paris, Arkansas ). In 1848
1521-523: Was not repealed until the end of the Civil War in 1865. Similar bans on all black migration were passed in Michigan, Ohio and Iowa. New laws were enacted in the 20th century. One example is Louisville, Kentucky , whose mayor proposed a law in 1911 that would restrict Black people from owning property in certain parts of the city. This city ordinance reached public attention when it was challenged in
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