Areas of New York State That May Have Been ‘Sundown Towns’
Historically, Blacks and Others Were Attacked If Seen in STs After Dark
Tougaloo College/History and Social Justice Website: A sundown town is not just a place where something racist happened. It is an entire community (or even county) that for decades was “all white” on purpose. “All white” is in quotes because some towns allowed one black family to remain when they drove out the rest. Also, institutionalized persons (in prisons, hospitals, colleges, etc.), live-in servants (in white households), and black or interracial children (in white households) do not violate the taboo.
“On purpose” does not require a formal ordinance. If, for example, a black family tried to move in, encountered considerable hostility, and left, that would qualify the town as “sundown.” Note that some sundown towns kept out Chinese Americans, Jews, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, even Mormons.
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Here are the areas in New York that may have operated as sundown towns.
* Not a suspected sundown town but of interest for other reasons.
Click here to check other states.