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.

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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.

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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

Even long after the Civil War ended slavery, the deep-seated resentment and hatred of black Americans lived on. While we have thought of and been taught the concept of segregation was primarily a Southern US thing, the stakes were even higher across Texas and Oklahoma.

"Sundown Towns" were whites-only settlements where the local politics and laws served as a warning to (mainly) African Americans traveling through the area. While history has been whitewashed to make it seem less intense, lynching was a common practice toward those not welcome who remained in an Oklahoma Sundown Town after sunset. Only the settlements that still exist are listed below.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

The Windiest Cities in Oklahoma

With all of the talk about windy cities and states, let's break down the metrics and crown one Sooner State champion. Here are the windiest towns in Oklahoma.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Notorious Oklahoma Speed Traps to Avoid

From the random single towns in certain areas to the unrelenting ticketing smorgasbord that is US-69, here is a rundown of the worst Oklahoma speed traps you'll want to avoid in your travels.

Keep in mind that this isn't every speed trap in Oklahoma. 55% of all Oklahoma towns generate at least 10% of their municipal revenue... These are just the overachievers.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

20 Worst Places To Live In Oklahoma

Contrary to popular belief, Oklahoma is growing. People are seeking a more affordable life, less big city, more room to grow, and the Sooner State fits that bill better than you think.

Our slow and steady growth year-over-year has gotten enough national attention to garner all sorts of new studies in the state, including this one.

Here are the 20 worst places to live in Oklahoma based on cost of living, crime rates, poverty stats, low wage issues, and more.

Gallery Credit: Kelso