Sundown Towns – Remnants of Oklahoma’s Racism
My better half thinks it's one of my weird quirks, but when I watch a movie or series about anything historic, my curiosity gets the best of me. I'll end up on Wikipedia to see where the story is going and to get a deeper backstory on the main characters.
It drives her crazy because I almost always have to rewind to the point my mind wanders onto the internet, but it's our thing.
While binging Lawman: Bass Reeves over the weekend, I was really looking forward to learning a fair amount of Oklahoma history from a period of time where it's a little scarce. Post-Civil War, pre-statehood.
@lawmenbassreeves This is the untold story of the greatest American lawman... Can you handle the weight of the badge? Lawmen: Bass Reeves premieres November 5, streaming only on @Paramount Plus. #BassReeves #ParamountPlus #DavidOyelowo #DennisQuaid #DonaldSutherland #LaurenEBanks #DemiSingleton #ForrestGoodluck #BarryPepper #SheaWhigham #Drama #NewShow ♬ original sound - lawmenbassreeves
While a lot of the story takes place in "The Territory," the details point to a protagonist in Texas.
I'm not going to spoil the story for you, but I got really curious about Oklahoma's "Sundown Towns." AKA - places where African Americans weren't welcome after dark and were either faced with intimidation or violence if they weren't gone with the daylight.
I'll be honest with you, the subject has come up from time to time over the years. I've always thought of "Sundown Towns" as more of a Southern United States thing, more of a Texas thing mainly because Wikipedia only lists a handful of "Sundown" towns across the Sooner State, but other outlets paint a much broader picture.
As more of Oklahoma's forgotten history is rediscovered, Tougaloo College is keeping a running list of our state's sundown towns.
From the website:
In the 1870s and 80s, many African Americans fled the former Confederacy and settled in Oklahoma. But by the time Oklahoma attained statehood in 1907, Democrats were in control and towns went sundown all over the state.
Sundown Towns of Oklahoma
Gallery Credit: Kelso
The Windiest Cities in Oklahoma
Gallery Credit: Kelso
Notorious Oklahoma Speed Traps to Avoid
Gallery Credit: Kelso
20 Worst Places To Live In Oklahoma
Gallery Credit: Kelso