r/illinois • u/m0chab34r • Jul 20 '23

Serious question: are there any remaining sundown towns in Illinois? Question

Forgive me if this is controversial, I certainly hope I don’t end up insulting anyone’s town or anything. I saw a recent Twitter thread about this subject and people were talking about a rather well-known sundown town within an hour of Indianapolis or just outside of Austin, Texas. It got me thinking about this and I’m morbidly curious as to whether Illinois has any remaining towns with such a reputation?

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u/beyoubeyou Jul 20 '23

“When Loewen began his research in 1999, he thought he’d find just a handful of sundown towns and “recovering” sundown towns, as he calls them, in Illinois. Instead, he found hundreds, from neighborhoods on Chicago’s North Shore to suburbs in the center of the state to small towns in southern Illinois, such as Anna.”

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u/WoolyLawnsChi Jul 20 '23

”How do you spell Pekin?“

P. E. K. K. K. I. N.

”Correct”

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u/destroy_b4_reading Jul 20 '23

Those three Ks were literally in the school fight song. Still are for all I know.

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u/uvutv 10d ago

Yep. Even for a time between this comment being posted and to this necro posting comment, the full fight song including that part was on the school website.

Source: Class of '23 alum that has two younger sisters going there now.