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Book Review of Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism

Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism
laceylosh avatar reviewed on + 53 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


This is one of the most important books Ive read in my lifetime.

James Loewen does a fantastic job of informing a nation of discrimination, white supremacy and racial exclusion that has been right under our noses, and that continues in some parts of the US today. Many who read this book (myself included) go into it with little or no prior knowledge of the existence of Sundown Towns. Yet, here they are, all around us.

This novel is surprisingly easy to read and understand, given its disturbing subject matter. Its filled with accounts from people who have lived (or are currently living) in Sundown communities, and from those who have visited.

Loewen fills the text with facts & figures, in his usual style. However, the human element is alive in this book, compared to some of his others, and that difference makes it one of my favorites.

I read the book cover to cover, but this would be an excellent book to skim, or read for just the chapters that interest you. Loewen uses recurring themes and examples that carry throughout, but that are explained in the context of each chapter.

I highly recommend this book to each and every citizen of the United States, as a powerful reminder of discrimination that still occurs throughout the nation, and that desperately needs to cease.