Sundown towns were communities that excluded African Americans and other minority groups through discriminatory local laws, intimidation, and violence.
The term “sundown town” comes from signs that were posted at the town’s borders warning African Americans to leave by sundown. These towns were prevalent across the United States, particularly between 1890 and 1968.
These towns used various methods to exclude Black residents, including violence, threats, and discriminatory laws. The legacy of these practices is still evident today in the demographic makeup of many areas in Arkansas.
While the Civil Rights Movement brought significant changes, the impact of sundown towns lingers, contributing to ongoing disparities and challenges for African American communities in the state.
In Arkansas, several towns and counties became known as sundown towns. For example, Bonanza in Sebastian County was a coal mining town that experienced significant racial conflict in the early 1900s.
Mena, Springdale, Bentonville, Mountain Home, Siloam Springs, Fouke and Booneville were all considered "sundown" areas through the 1920's and 1930's.
After a violent riot in 1904, nearly all African American residents were driven out. Similarly, Boone County, which includes the town of Harrison, had a history of racial violence and exclusion, leading to a very low Black population.
Sundown towns in Arkansas, like in other parts of the United States, were not explicitly “outlawed” by a single piece of legislation. Instead, their decline was largely due to the broader civil rights movement and federal legislation in the 1960s. Key laws that contributed to ending the practices associated with sundown towns include:
Civil Rights Act of 1964: This landmark legislation outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, workplaces, and facilities that served the general public.
These laws, along with the efforts of civil rights activists, significantly reduced the formal enforcement of sundown town policies. However, the legacy of these towns can still be seen in the demographic patterns and social dynamics of many communities.
Today, while Arkansas has made strides towards inclusivity, the remnants of its past are evident in the demographic makeup of some regions. Areas that were once sundown towns often continue to have predominantly white populations, with limited representation from other racial and ethnic groups
Some of the areas in the state that are still lacking from an alarming lack of diversity include:
Boone County: With a Black population of only 0.26%, Boone County is one of the areas with the lowest African American presence. Harrison was long known as an area .African Americans were unwelcome and was once the location of the national office of the Ku Klux Klan.
Clay County: This county has a very small African American population, reflecting its history as a sundown area. In the 2020 census, 40 African American's lived in a county with over 13, 500 Caucasian residents.
Polk County: Known for its exclusionary practices, Polk County also has a minimal Black population. in the 1920's the Mena Commercial Club advertised for people to move to that town with print ads that emphasized a "no black population".
Newton County: This rural county has a very low percentage of African American residents.
Searcy County: Another rural area with a small Black population.
Izard County: Known for its low diversity, Izard County has a minimal African American presence.
Stone County: This county also has a very low percentage of African American residents.
Van Buren County: With a small Black population, Van Buren County reflects the broader trends of exclusion in rural Arkansas.
Marion County: This county has a very low African American population.
Baxter County: Known for its low diversity, Baxter County also has a minimal Black population.
Locally, south Sebastian County still remains low in African American population compared to other towns their size in western Arkansas. . Greenwood, Mansfield, and Hackett, for example, all have African American populations of less that 1% according to the latest census.
Efforts to address these disparities are ongoing, but the journey towards true inclusivity and diversity is a continuous process that requires both acknowledgment of the past and proactive measures for the future.
