What is a sundown town?
Q: What is a sundown town?
A: A sundown town is a town that is or was purposely all-white, where people of color were not allowed after dark.
Q: Where is the term "sundown town" widely used?
A: The term is widely used in the United States in areas from Ohio to Oregon and well into the South.
Q: How did the term "sundown town" come about?
A: The term came from signs that were allegedly posted stating that people of color had to leave the town by sundown.
Q: What were the restrictions for minority people in sundown towns?
A: Minority people could not visit after sunset or spend the night in the town, even as a paying hotel customer.
Q: Are sundown towns still present in the United States?
A: While the overtly racist laws and signs have been removed, there are still lingering effects and communities with a history of being sundown towns.
Q: What are other names for sundown towns?
A: Such towns are also sometimes called "sunset towns" or "gray towns."
Q: What is the purpose of a sundown town?
A: The purpose of a sundown town was to maintain segregation and white dominance in a given area.
