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Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism
No blacks allowed, especially after dark. This was the unwritten rule in a "sundown" town. In his trademark revelatory style, bestselling author James W. Loewen explores one of America's best-kept secrets as he unearths the making of sundown towns and discloses the fact that many white neighborhoods and suburbs are the result of years of racism and segregation. Anna, Illin...more
Paperback, 576 pages
Published
October 3rd 2006
by Touchstone
(first published 2005)
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Jun 23, 2008
Chris
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people living in small predominantly white towns
Here are some highlights from the book thus far (first two chapters)>> very important book:
Sundown Towns
By James Loewen
Sundown town is any organized jurisdiction that for decades kept African Americans or other groups from living in it and was thus “all-white on purpose.” (p4)
Between 1890- 1968 white Americans established themselves in SDTs across the USA. (p.4)
Between 1890- 1940s race relations in America grew worse. After the abolishment of slavery steps were being taken to make things b...more
Sundown Towns
By James Loewen
Sundown town is any organized jurisdiction that for decades kept African Americans or other groups from living in it and was thus “all-white on purpose.” (p4)
Between 1890- 1968 white Americans established themselves in SDTs across the USA. (p.4)
Between 1890- 1940s race relations in America grew worse. After the abolishment of slavery steps were being taken to make things b...more
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Ever wonder why all the poor white people live in tiny towns, while poor black people tend to live in the inner city? This book explains that phenomenon-- apparently many poor black people used to live in tiny towns as well, but they were systematically driven out by lynch mobs, housing ordinances, covenants, banks, and real estate agents. The federal government did its part too, denying black families subsidized loans, and requiring white homeowners to buy homes in segregated neighborhoods. Th...more
This is a comprehensive, in-depth overview of the United States of America’s segregated and discriminatory housing practices. It is astonishing and sickening. I was aware of some of the discrimination, but had no idea how extensive and wide-spread it’s existence and ramifications are, in the country's history and in it's present day. I can open the book to any page and there is a despicable example of racism. For example, page 272, “Farmer shot to death near Lamb, Hardin CO, was attempting to pr...more
Loewen does an excellent job of historical research on the topic of sundown (all White) towns. The author examines many facets of these towns, including their prevalence, causes, and consequences to both White and Black individuals. Given the topic and the fact that Loewen is a historian, I assumed the book would be about the past. Unfortunately, much of the book is about the present. The author makes an excellent case for his conclusions that sundown towns are alive and well in America, and tha...more
Sundown towns are small towns or suburbs that threatened African Americans to keep out–OR ELSE. Loewen focuses research on his home state of Illinois, but discovered just how pervasive these communities were, and continue to be.
While I appreciated having my eyes opened, I do have to mention that the book took me a really long time to get through for relatively little payoff. Most of his case studies were towns in Illinois, places that seemed a world away to me, so I remember thinking the book go...more
While I appreciated having my eyes opened, I do have to mention that the book took me a really long time to get through for relatively little payoff. Most of his case studies were towns in Illinois, places that seemed a world away to me, so I remember thinking the book go...more
overall the premise and facts presented in this book are excellent reminders of a somewhat hidden part of america's past/present and hopefully not future. i enjoyed the fact that the author didn't concentrate his "fact finding" in the south, yet looked nationwide for instances of overt and covert residential racism.
that being said, there were a few times while reading that i felt the author was being repetitive with thoughts or phrases and that at several points he mixed his opinion in just a bi...more
that being said, there were a few times while reading that i felt the author was being repetitive with thoughts or phrases and that at several points he mixed his opinion in just a bi...more
I remember traveling with my family when I was very young. My mother always packed lunches for us. My father would sometimes get perrturbed when my sisters or I would not go to the restroom when he stopped for gas. Little did I know then that there were only certain places he would stop (after consulting family and friends who had made that journey before) only at certain places to avoid putting our family through needless stress while spending long hous behind the wheel driving from Milwaukee,...more
I picked this up for research towards an article, and haven't been able to put it down.
A few pages into the book I was shocked by the revelation that so many northern cities (hundreds or thousands) prohibited blacks not only from traveling through after dark but from living in them at all.
James Loewen did an astounding amount of research towards this hefty and exhaustively detailed book.
He spells out a truth that has been hidden in plain sight for decades, but that polite middle class people ne...more
A few pages into the book I was shocked by the revelation that so many northern cities (hundreds or thousands) prohibited blacks not only from traveling through after dark but from living in them at all.
James Loewen did an astounding amount of research towards this hefty and exhaustively detailed book.
He spells out a truth that has been hidden in plain sight for decades, but that polite middle class people ne...more
This is one of the most important books I’ve read in my lifetime.
James Loewen does a fantastic job of informing a nation of discrimination, white supremacy and racial exclusion that has been right under our noses, and that continues in some parts of the US today. Many who read this book (myself included) go into it with little or no prior knowledge of the existence of Sundown Towns. Yet, here they are, all around us.
This novel is surprisingly easy to read and understand, given it’s disturbing su...more
James Loewen does a fantastic job of informing a nation of discrimination, white supremacy and racial exclusion that has been right under our noses, and that continues in some parts of the US today. Many who read this book (myself included) go into it with little or no prior knowledge of the existence of Sundown Towns. Yet, here they are, all around us.
This novel is surprisingly easy to read and understand, given it’s disturbing su...more
The best thing about this book is that it made the geography that I had always accepted as concrete something that was painfully alive. It was striking how many of the deeply segregated towns were familiar to me and helped me realize how pervasive segregation is in the Midwest. His analysis was sweeping and comprehensive, but sometimes felt a bit scattered. He incorporated the ideas of other scholars as well as primary sources, but it often felt blippy. Furthermore, the book already feels dated...more
I have been meaning to read this book since Chris Lahr brought it to my attention four years ago. I finally managed to get it on inter-library loan, and I was instantly wary because it was about 500 pages long and 10 lbs - not exactly ideal for the crowded subway, where I do most of my reading. But in a way, the book's physical size is a reflection of the ideas its pages contain: this is a heavy subject. I don't blame Loewen for refusing to skimp on the details, though - these truths have been s...more
Loewen once again lifts the veil of racism and hypocrisy in American society. Its a tour de force indictment of a practice that gets little recognition even by its victims. Loewen draws a straight line from the usually rich all white sundown towns to the hopelessly poor all Black ghettos. That line is nop accident. He proves that the lakc of opportunity of Blacks to live where ever they want is not a social grouping phenomenum but a racist policy actuaaly endoresed until very recently by the fed...more
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This book is a fairly large and educational work on the widespread nature of "sundown towns" as recently as 1970 with many still in existence today. Basically a sundown town (or neighborhood, suburb, county, state) is a place that excludes black people from being able to live there usually by posting signs that say "Nigger Don't Let the Sun Go Down on You in ___." Blacks may be allowed to shop there or drive through during the day, but if they were found within city limits after dark, the result...more
This book was amazing. I wanted to read about modern racism, hidden enclaves, I thought mostly in the south, where racism still lurks pretty much under the radar. I had no idea there were so many sundown towns, mostly in the north, west, and midwest. And I had no idea that several were still sundown to this day, though the signs have been taken down. The author has a website where you can look up cities and suburbs across the country to read about their sundown past and whether or not they are s...more
I was familiar with the concept of "sundown towns," so the subject itself wasn't an eye-opener for me. What was surprising, however, was the extent of the phenomenon and the number of recent and current examples. Overall, the book was extremely well researched and thought-provoking. If there's any weakness, though, I'd say that it's almost too thorough -- the author could have made his points, supported his arguments, and probably produced a slightly more readable book, if he hadn't attempted to...more
This book was very eye-opening. I'm glad Loewen wrote it, and I'm glad I read it. I do wish Loewen was a better writer, though. And though I'm from Illinois and this book focuses quite a bit on towns in Illinois (which means I'm familiar with many of them), I wish his focus had been more widespread and included more information about other parts of the country.
A fascinating and saddening look at a specific aspect of racism in America, one that has mostly passed undocumented. The book addresses sundown towns (and suburbs): towns and suburbs throughout the U.S. that excluded blacks and other minority groups, especially in the North despite many people's assumptions about racism in the U.S. The book begins a little slow, as Loewen spends several sections describing the prevalence of these towns, discussing his research methods, and placing the sundown to...more
Depressing, surprising, important. Loewen points out that most people believe all-white small towns are the natural result of a preference by African-Americans not to settle in that area; that African-Americans simply chose not to live in that town. That they somehow preferred big cities. Instead Loewen shows how African-Americans were prevented from living in most towns and suburbs in the North (He concentrates on Illinois, Indiana, and Connecticut, but his statistical reach covers the country)...more
This is an enormously important subject as it rids the reader of any illusions that American racism was & is primarily concentrated in the South. It's clear that Loewen did extensive amounts of research and is to be applauded for even having the courage to tackle this topic. However, as others reviewers have noted he does tend to be repetitive, which took away from my enjoyment of the book. It's still worth the read. I found his suggested solutions at the end to be intriguing - unlikely to e...more
While it's good to see serious treatment of the subject matter, I think the book would have been well-served by some judicious editing. It is somewhat too repetitive, vitriolic, and possibly a little too reliant on anecdotal evidence. Never-the-less, I think it's an important book, and well worth reading.
I was assigned this book in grad school, then the prof took it off the reading list to make room for other assignments. I wish I had read it back then. The author gives an extensive analysis of racism in small town America. At first I was a bit uncomfortable with what he is saying (wouldn't we all like to think we've overcome racism in 2009?) but as I continued reading, I just felt sad that there is still so much calculated hate in our country. I have to wonder if, post-2008 election, anything h...more
I picked this book up at a Social Studies Conference after hearing the author, James Loewen, speak. This book makes you really question how far civil rights have come. Makes me reassess some things I take for granted in my U.S. History curriculum.
A significant work of history, and a very eye-opening read about the way that racism and income inequality reinforce and perpetuate one another. I wonder what if anything has changed since the crash of the housing market, and -- though this is a tiny, tiny criticism in an otherwise stunning pile of data -- I really wish he hadn't ended the chapter on remedies for residential segregation with a quote from Three Dog Night.
Oct 12, 2011
Michelle Ireland
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction
Excellent book. This book has completely changed the way I view our nation's history. This is a very important read. Some areas can be a bit dry, but overall, very well-written and extremely detailed.
Jul 25, 2011
Tori
added it
2008- While on an very interesting and little researched topic (sundown towns across the US), this book seemed more scholarly and therefore a bit less ""readable"" then his other books. Still, it's an eyeopener.
This book is good like a kick to the head. An in-depth exploration of the context and events that spurred the residential segregation that we now think of as "natural" in the United States, the negative effects that the phenomenon has on people of all races and on our social system, and what can be done to remedy it.
An eye-opening book about towns or suburbs in the U.S. that excluded or still exclude blacks or other minorities. It stunned me to realize how many towns fit Loewen's definition of a sundown town, and also just how recently many of them have had only white residents (or a tiny number of minority residents.) Loewen thoroughly documents the history and effects of this kind of racial segregation. This book is long, and while very straightforward, it's not a quick read. But it's well-organized, and...more
This book was amazing. I HIGHLY recommend it. I think about all that suburban angst and well, there's a reason for it and this book posits some answers and asks some questions. There are reasons why things are so segregated. Consider all white towns where there once was an interracial mix. Consider terrorist action by white-supremacists to drive people of color from those towns and suburbs. Incredibly researched, accessible, and a necessary history all white people need to be aware of and critic...more
This thoroughly depressing book is a must-read for anyone with a desire to end racism, but perhaps especially for those who feel that racism is no longer a problem in America. The sheer pervasiveness of this unspoken phenomenon in towns all across the nation (even as late as 2003, when the book was published) was horrifying, but even more appalling was my ignorance of their existence. Being from Texas, I knew about Vidor (seat of the local KKK for years), but had no idea that there were so many...more
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