Chapter 1: Understanding Sundown Towns

Sundown towns were places where Black individuals faced imminent danger after dark, as the prevailing racist sentiments of the local population created a perilous atmosphere. Under the cloak of night, without fear of legal repercussions, some White residents engaged in the disgraceful practice of driving Black individuals out of their communities. This hostility affected those merely passing through as well as those attempting to settle down. While some sundown towns enacted explicit regulations prohibiting Black residents and other minorities from being present after sunset, others relied on unwritten agreements. Consequently, these towns severely limited the freedom of Black Americans, restricting their access to essential services like restaurants, hotels, and other facilities.

One of the methods White residents employed to uphold the rigid racial codes associated with sundown towns was through violence, including acts of racial terror like lynchings. These horrific acts not only devastated local Black communities but also sent a resounding message that Black individuals could not expect to travel freely within or stop in these towns. A case from May 1926 exemplifies this brutality: a White mob lynched Henry Patterson, a Black man from LaBelle, Florida, after he merely sought a drink of water. After completing a day's work at a construction site, he approached a White woman to ask for a sip, only to be met with fear, prompting him to flee. Tragically, assumptions were made that he had harmed her.

The Equal Justice Initiative documented this incident, revealing that a mob of nearly 200 White men allowed Patterson to escape only to hunt him down for their entertainment. For them, the chase was a game, but for Patterson, it was a fight for survival. Ultimately, the mob shot him as he tried to escape and then displayed his body through the streets of LaBelle, humiliating him further. This gruesome account highlights the harsh reality faced by Black Americans, where even the simplest of requests could be twisted into