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James W. Loewen (1942-2021)

We mourn the loss of our friend and colleague and remain committed to the work he began.

Swampscott

Massachusetts

Basic Information

Type of Place
Suburb
Metro Area
Politics c. 1860?
Unions, Organized Labor?

Sundown Town Status

Sundown Town in the Past?
Possible
Was there an ordinance?
Don't Know
Sign?
Don’t Know
Year of Greatest Interest
Still Sundown?
Surely Not

Census Information

The available census data from 1860 to the present
Total White Black Asian Native Hispanic Other BHshld
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010 13,787 233
2020

Method of Exclusion

  • Unknown

Main Ethnic Group(s)

  • Unknown

Group(s) Excluded

  • Black

Comments

“I grew up in Swampscott, Massachusetts in the
1960’s, graduating HS in 1975. I don’t think I ever even saw a black person in real life until the famous forced busing of METCO students came along… I do remember hearing that there was one (ONE) black family in town, not two blocks from where I grew up, but I never saw them. I think that it’s not quite as segregated now, but I doubt there are ten black families living there today.”
-posted to the web, 2006

METCO was not a part of the Boston “forced busing” situation. It was a voluntary program in the suburbs of Boston where urban youth were voluntarily bussed in to give them different opportunities while exposing the local youth to non white people.
– Posted to the web in response to above

Email:
11/2010
“Swampscott, MA is not still a sundown town. I live here and personally know black families that do as well.”