Sundowner signs taken down in North Tonawanda

Sundowner signs taken down in North Tonawanda. Hannah Buehler reports.

ALL NEW AT SIX --SOCONTROVERSIALSIGNS WITH RACISTTIES IN NORTHTONAWANDA HAVEBEEN TAKEN DOWN..AFTER PUBLICOUTCRY.THE NEIGHBORBECAME UPSET --AFTER DISCOVERINGTHE ACTUAL MEANINGBEHIND THE OLDSIGNS.7 EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER HANNAHBUEHLER IS ON THESTORY.TRT: 2:10OUT: 7EWN331:32IT'S A SIGNTHAT'S CAUSED SOMETO LOOK BACK INTIME...AND MANY DIDN'T FEELTHAT THIS SIGNREADING"SUNDOWNERSNEIGHBORHOODWATCH COMMUNITY"WAS APPROPROTIATETO HAVE UP IN NORTHTONAWANDA IN 2020.SOT: THEY OBJECTEDTO IT BROUGHTATTENTION TO ITA SUNDOWN TOWNHISTORICALLY MEANTBLACK PEOPLE WERENOT ALLOWED TO LIVETHERE AND SUNDOWNTOWNS POPPED UPALL ACROSS THEUNITED STATESBETWEEN 1890 AND1940...HISTORIANS SAY IMEANT A BLACKPERSON NEEDED TOBE GONE BEFORE THESUN WENT DOWN INMANY CASESBETWEEN 6PM AND9PM...SOT: THEY SAID WDON'T WANT THEM INOUR TOWN SO THATBECAME THE THING TODO A PRACTICEJAMES LOEWENWROTE THE BOOKSUNDOWN TOWNS: AHIDDEN DIMENSION OFAMERICAN RACISM..HE'S STUDIEDSUNDOWN TOWNSACROSS AMERICAAND HISTORICALLY HESAYS THERE'S NOTMUCH IN THE HISTORYBOOKS ABOUT THEMBUT THEYEXISTED.NORTHTONAWANDA IS IN HISBOOK.SOT: WHAT PROVESITS A SUNDOWN TOWNIS SPECIFICINSTANCES OFBEHAVIOR WHEREAFRICAN AMERICFAMILIES GET DRIVENOUT ONE THING ORANOTHER AND WEFOUND MANY THINGSIN NORTH TONAWANDAAND TONAWANDLOEWEN SAYS IT'S AMOSTLY SILENT PIECEOF HISTORY THATEXISTED FOR ANUMBER OF YEARSSOT: THE TERMSUNDOWN TOWN ISNOT KNOWN BYEVERYBODYSOT: I HAD ASKEDPEOPLE WELL WHATCONNOTATION DO YOUTAKE WITH THIS ANDTHEY SAID WELL MOSTSAID WE DIDN'T THINKMUCH ABOUT IT ANDTHOUGHT WELL WHENTHE SUN GOES DOWNCRIME GOES UPBUT SOME DID KNOWTHE HISTORY OF THENAMEAND AFTER SOMEPUBLIC CRITISISM TWOOF THESE SIGNSWERE REMOVEDONE NEIGHBOR TOLDME:I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ITMEANT BUNOW THAT I DO IUNDERSTAND WHY ITWAS TAKEN DOWNSOT: WAS IT JUSTCHOSEN AS A NAMEOR WAS THEREREALLY SOMETHINGTO ITWE DON'T KNOSOT: IN OUR CITY WEHOPE EVERYONE ISTREATED EQUALLYAND AND IF WE FINDOUT THEIR NOT WETRY TO FIX ITIN NORTH TONAWANDAHB 7EWN