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What defines a blatant disparity under the Residents’ Rights Act? I suggest that any town less than one-tenth as black as its state—or any suburb less than one-tenth as black as its metropolitan area—falls under suspicion. (To a degree, this rewards widespread sundown areas. The Ozark Plateau, for example, is so large that it makes up a considerable part of the total populations of Missouri and Arkansas. Thus its whiteness pulls down the statewide proportion of African Americans, especially in Arkansas, making the trigger—one-tenth of that proportion—artificially low. This may be a serious problem in Idaho if it is true, as some claim, that the entire state has been inhospitable to African Americans.) Of course, only blacks in households with an African American householder will count, to avoid including prisoners, maids, live-in caregivers, etc. (The appropriate adjustment would also be made to total population: number in households.) In 2000, Illinois was 15.4% black, so to avoid qualifying, towns must be 1.54% black. In Indiana, the benchmark is 0.87% black.
Obviously all towns having no African Americans at all will immediately qualify, such as Elwood, Indiana, still reportedly off-limits to blacks as of 2002. So will our old favorite Anna, having no more than two people in families with a black householder in 2000. Since their histories immediately confirm them as sundown towns, after two complaints Elwood and Anna will immediately face sanctions. In 2000, Arcola, Illinois, had one qualifying household with 3 people in it among 2,652 residents, or 0.1%. That was far less than the required 1.54%, so Arcola qualifies. Former sundown town Valparaiso, Indiana, on the other hand, now being about 1.6% black, is exempt.
The calculation is similar within metropolitan areas. The Detroit primary metropolitan area was 23.4% black in 2000. Any jurisdiction within that area that was less than one-tenth as black, or less than 2.34% black, will trigger sanctions—if it has been confirmed as having a sundown past—once two complaints have been received. Grosse Pointe’s point system and other details of its past confirm the five Grosse Pointe jurisdictions as sundown towns. Statistically, Grosse Pointe itself, 0.8% black in 2000, qualifies, as does Grosse Pointe Farms, 0.6%, Grosse Pointe Shores, 0.6%, and Grosse Pointe Woods, 0.6% black; Grosse Pointe Park, a whopping 2.95% black, is exempt. Many other Detroit suburbs also qualify, such as Grosse Ile at less than 0.4% black, Dearborn at 1.3%, and our old friend Wyandotte, 0.5%, each of which “boasts” a sundown past.