Horror in the heartland: Finding America’s sundown towns is easier than you might think

Sundown towns are communities in which Black people were not welcome. These towns openly discriminated against Black residents and visitors, and violence was a common tactic. The name comes from signs that used to be posted telling minorities to be gone before the sun set for the day.

While this sounds like it might be a uniquely Southern phenomenon, it wasn’t; sundown towns aren’t endemic to just one region or state. Sundown towns may seem like relics of a bygone era, but they aren’t. They’re still with us.

They’re found in states all across the country. But one region — the Midwest — has the highest concentration, according to historical records..

This story was originally published June 8, 2022 at 9:00 AM.