Member-only story
I Didn’t Even Know What A “Sundown Town” Was
“Don’t let the sun go down on you in this town.” — Jim Crow South
Tiktoker Madeline Argy is currently doing viral on Twitter for posting a video regarding her knowledge of “sundown towns”. She rather excitedly claims she had absolutely no idea of their real meaning and thought they were in fact related to Lego. Before we go into my thoughts behind her trending, for those that are unaware:
A “sundown town” is a term used to describe a community or town in the United States that had an unwritten or sometimes even written rule that prohibited African Americans and other minority groups from being present within its borders after the sun had set. These towns were part of a deeply ingrained system of racial segregation and discrimination prevalent in the United States, particularly during the late 19th and early to mid-20th centuries. However, they are still very present today.
Sundown towns enforce their racial exclusion through various means, such as intimidation, threats, violence, and discriminatory local laws. These actions aimed to maintain white supremacy and prevent racial integration in various regions across the country. Signs with messages nasty messages are sometimes displayed as explicit warnings to minority individuals.
