The historic Alvin Train Depot was built in 1907 and has remained a staple in the community's long history involving the railroad. VIDOR, Texas (CNN) -- As a reporter for CNN, I've spent a lot of time travelling around the United States. Your. When I was recently assigned to cover a story about the history of racism in Vidor, Texas, for the "Paula Zahn Now" show, it turned out that I was surprised by some of the things I found, namely that some whites were openly telling me they still wanted separation from blacks. You must go there. Despite the online backlash, Malone is resolute in holding a peaceful march on Saturday to demonstrate that at least some modern-day Vidor residents are eager to keep the towns racist past just thatthe past. POV: Youre from TX and knew he was talking about Vidor before he said it, one user wrote. Sundown towns are rare in the South but common in the rest of the country. An apartment is going to be easy to get for your budget, so you don't need to live in Alvin. He writes about music and film for Forbes, Billboard, and the Austin American-Statesman. Today, there are very few people of color in the town. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city population was 27,098. Lets have a march in Vidor,' Malone tells the Daily Dot. Alvin was featured in the CMT series Trick my What?, featuring the Froberg family, who have been members of the Alvin community for more than 70 years. The trucker explained that he was delivering a load to the area. I live in Alvin, and i don't mind the drive. Texas has a long history of sundown towns, dating back to the days of slavery. The video, which has been viewed nearly 800,000 times since posting, details the mans experience while visiting the notorious town of Vidor, Texas. I spent years in Alvin. The Santa Fe Railroad eventually expanded into the area, and a settlement was established along the railroad. Thanks in advance for any help! Vidor, Twitter user @MsDyna85 implored in a post that has been retweeted nearly 6,000 times. Our coaches used to threaten to drop the black kids off in Grand Saline (as a sick joke) for misbehaving on the school bus to and from games. The grounds are seriously impeccable and it's quiet. Conveniently located, Alvin offers visitors big city attractions with small-town hospitality. Upon reaching his destination, Gideon says that he was approached by a security guard who immediately alerted his fellow workers that they were experiencing a code red. The security guard expressed that he did not want to be responsible for the truck drivers safety by allowing him to drive further into the business to drop off his delivery. Enjoy your adventures and remember to EAT, STAY & PLAY in ALVIN. The median income for a household in the city was $38,576, and the median income for a family was $43,987. Alvin is OK. its pretty quiet and there is nothing to do. Im like OK but here I was in Vidor, Texas.. None of those areas are outright bad. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Below Gideon's video, several people who said they were Black Texans said his story wasn't news to them. The racial makeup of the city was 82.28% White, 2.11% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 10.88% from other races, and 3.40% from two or more races. Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Category:Sundown towns in Texas Help Pages in category "Sundown towns in Texas" The following 9 pages are in this category, out of 9 total. Former 'sundown town' struggles to overcome racist past, Some Vidor residents don't get to see CNN report. A white policeman stopped. His TikTok from May 3 has been viewed over 875,000 times. Some are nicer than others. This makes it difficult for black people to find employment or forces them into service positions like cooks, maids, and butlers. For much of the 20th century, thousands of all-white American towns forbade Black people from . Despite the fact that Beaumont, a much bigger city just 10 minutes away, is quite integrated, Vidor is not. " Jones recalled. However, there are also examples of towns that excluded other minority groups, such as Jews, Mormons, Native Americans, Chinese Americans, and Mexican Americans, to name a few. Vidor also had a reputation as a haven for the Ku Klux Klan. "He said, 'Well, let me tell ya -- you boys better wrap and get out of here, because I'm going to go to that next exit and come back around. But in general, sundown towns existed by reputation. "All white" is in quotes because some towns allowed one black family to remain when they drove out the rest. A third viewer exclaimed, "So in 2022 we still need a greenbook for safety!". The only good thing about Alvin is Joes BBQ. Welcome to Alvin, Texas! Students in Alvin attend schools in the Alvin Independent School District.[16]. The town was officially incorporated in 1893, making it the oldest incorporated settlement in Brazoria County. Some users even argued that a new Green Book was needed, a reference to the annualguidebook designated safe destinations across the country for Black Americans between 1936 and 1966. The total included 43 inches (1,090mm) in 24 hours, at the time the highest amount of rainfall in 24 hours in American history. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. I have never seen this in pharmacy in 8 years: Pharmacist speaks out about the drug shortage in PSA, I shouldve listened to my gut from day one: Tech worker says racist manager cost him a $5,000 bonus, Its super infuriating how non-inclusive your kids menu is: Server says mom was upset that kids menu had no healthy options, I woke up the next day: Worker says she missed her shift after she accidentally napped for 12 hours, *First Published: Jun 5, 2020, 9:04 am CDT, Video shows police shoving an elderly man to the ground, Karen cops ask to speak to restaurant workers manager after she allegedly said Black Lives Matter, Popular subreddits go dark to protest racism on Reddit. The historic Alvin Train Depot was built in 1907 and has remained a staple in the communitys long history involving the railroad. Peggy Fruge told me she'd welcome blacks to her neighborhood. If you prefer to stay away from busier cities, alvin is a good choice. In a 'sundown town' in Texas, white vigilantes forced Black residents to leave home By Bud Kennedy (From a column published Feb. 16, 2002.) 102 Produce Farmer's Tractor", "Alvin, Texas Kppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alvin,_Texas&oldid=1141842537, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 02:44. Also note: some towns are * 'd. They are not suspected sundown towns but are listed for other reasons. And to a great extent, that explained why Vidor has not quite escaped its past. ullstein bild/Getty Images The Chicago suburb of Cicero was one of the most infamous sundown towns to ever exist in Illinois. Other Travel Brochures you may be interested in that are nearby your selection: Texas State Parks near El Paso & Big Bend, Texas State Parks near Abilene, Amarillo & Midland. For every 100 females, there were 106.5 males. According to AP News, these towns are inhabited by a majority of white people who insist that "Black and white residents get along really well." When speaking to white residents . Blacks knew they were places to avoid after dark. [8][9], On July 25, 1979, Tropical Storm Claudette stalled over Alvin and inundated the region with 45 inches (1,140mm) of rain in 42 hours. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.22. "I get there and I look at the exit," he said. Alvin was a sundown town, where practically no African Americans were allowed to live. I agree. Thelma Ley Anderson Family YMCA is located in Alvin. Im not even sure how that happens.. Not. Wow, one commenter added. Step back in time and learn about the citys history by visiting the museums and historical sites. Greyhound Bus Lines operates the Alvin Station at Yellow Jacket Grocery-Citgo. Their homemade biscuits are as big as the plate. Still, what took me aback was how Vidor had evolved into a kind of complacency. Alvin is a city in Brazoria County, Texas with a population of approximately 27,000 people, with about 1,000 of them being Black. Located on land originally granted to the Houston Tap and Brazoria Railroad, Alvin boasts many great recreational opportunities including 13 parks and the countrys only dedicated night lit disc golf course. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Three pluses to Alvin: Joes BBQ and their orgasm inducing pecan pie. Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 02:44, "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Alvin city, Texas", "Alvin Citizens Doubt That Negro Suspect Responsible For Christmas Ax Killing", "City of Missouri City v. State ex rel. When most people think of Texas, they think of cowboys, cattle, and wide-open spaces. [5] Alvin's claim to fame is Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who moved with his family to the city in 1947 as an infant and lived there until he moved to Round Rock in 2003. I thought you might be interested in this story from the Tour Texas web site: Get your copy of the Texas State Travel Guide, the comprehensive guide to all that the Lone Star State has to offer. Posted on May 11, 2022 Updated on May 16, 2022, 9:36 am CDT. If you have to live in Alvin, you want to check out The Kenton. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. [6] Alvin Morgan received a land grant from the state of Texas prior to 1891. The town changed its name to Alvin after discovering a Morgan, Texas already existed. He further explained that the load would not deliver until 8 a.m. the next day despite the fact that he had arrived at 5:30 p.m. the prior evening. African Americans were given a few days to get out of the county. But there is a dark side to the Lone Star State that many people are unaware of. This march is to honor the Black lives lost, end racism, & help influence love over hate in our community, the flyer reads. Pretty much everybody I know in Texas thats Black tells me, Do not go to Vidor, Texas,' said Gideon in the video. Don't stop until you at least get to Beaumont. Alvin was officially incorporated in 1893, making it the oldest incorporated settlement in Brazoria County. [7] In 1960, the city annexed a 100-foot-wide (30 m) 137-mile-long (220 km) to protect Alvin from being annexed by other cities. There were 8,442 housing units at an average density of 513.7 per square mile (198.4/km2). Alvin is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area and Brazoria County. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city population was 27,098. I wouldn't contribute anything new by adding my opinion of looking into pearland/friendswood, if you're desperate in terms of rent costs I'd personally rather live in Lake Jackson than Alvin, that's just me though, I'm from that area so I'm partial to it. "We've been trying to live down something for 40 to 50 years," said Orange County Commissioner Beamon Minton. But there is data on where there were distinct Klaverns of the Ku Klux Klan in each state. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. Alvin was officially incorporated in 1893, making it the oldest incorporated settlement in Brazoria County. City of Alvin, 123 S.W.3d 606 (2003), Texas Court of Appeals", "Flooding in 1979 put Alvin in record books", "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990", "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin", "Alvin Community College Taxation Boundary Layer", "Trick My What? In 1886 a Comanche Black man killed a white woman. Vidor was a haven for the Ku Klux Klan in the 1990s. The library closed in 2010 to repair damages done by Hurricane Ike, and during that renovation, a fire broke out causing major smoke damage. The Nolan Ryan Museum is in the Nolan Ryan Foundation and Exhibit Center on the campus of Alvin Community College. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males. During a drive to his destination he details seeing a bunch of Confederate flags as well as a doll of a Black man wrapped in a Confederate flag hanging from a tree by his neck.. Don't do that to yourself. (Licensed), Posted on May 11, 2022Updated on May 16, 2022, 9:36 am CDT, A Black truck driver on TikTok known as Gideon reveals in a viral video what he witnessed last week while traveling through a sundown town.. She says she received hundreds of DMs questioning the legitimacy of the march or calling it outright fake. Im praying its peaceful, Carroll says. And along the way, I've developed some impressions of who we are, and where we are, as a society. Alvin was originally named "Morgan" by the town's residents in honor of the settlement's original resident, Santa Fe employee Alvin Morgan; upon discovery that the name Morgan had been taken, the town named itself after Morgan's first name. But in general, sundown towns existed by reputation. But some residents are more committed to change. Alvin Map. According to Newsweek, "Sundown towns are all-white parts of the United States considered to be unsafe for Black people after dark." Coined during the segregation-era, certain areas of the nation had signs indicating that "colored people" were to leave places by sundown. Gideon says the man told someone that he did not want to be responsible for his safety. They expelled their Black population in 1886. @tittyboi81/Tiktok Bryan Rolli is a reporter who specializes in streaming entertainment. Theories on how the community got its name differ but a popular one claims the towns name is derived from the Latin word for white, and was named because settlers did not permit African Americans to live there. In 1933, Roy S. Lapham was murdered in a mysterious ax slaying on Christmas morning. ", When Gideon got to the site, he heard a security guard alerting co-workers to a "code red." Alvin is a city in Brazoria County, Texas with a population of approximately 27,000 people, with about 1,000 of them being Black. In some cases, Sundown signs were even posted at the town limits to warn non-whites that they were not welcome after dark. Our people [white people], of course, gave negroes all the morals they haveI lived in a county in Texas [Comanche]where negroes were not allowed to live, except one family I couldnt ask such folk [brave white Americans] to do my little bachelor chores I mean the running of errands and a hundred little things that we dont hesitate to ask a negro to do. I highly recommend you go to Friendswood or Pearland as others have mentioned. Alvin was officially incorporated in 1893, making it the oldest incorporated settlement in Brazoria County. If you prefer to stay away from busier cities, alvin is a good choice. By 1900, the census showed that of a 23,000 population, every person was white. One of the most memorable instances of that was in 1993, when the federal government tried to change years of racial separation, and brought a handful of black families into Vidor's public housing. They determined that two killings by Black men of white people were too much, so they proposed to eliminate the Black population from their town. There are lots of trailer homes right next to large, recently-built homes with well-off retirees. This sundown town in Texas was also all-white and had signs that said racial slurs, telling Blacks to stay out of town. They were a very well known as a 'sundown' town to me as a child. "The vast majority of our citizens are not racist," said Vidor Mayor Joe Hopkins. THIS IS NOT A PROTEST BUT A LYNCHING DISGUISED AS ONE. The Daily Dot reached out to Gideon to inquire further about the video but did not immediately receive a reply. At least one alleged resident of Vidor even left a comment regarding the towns poor image. For those unfamiliar, a sundown town is a city, town, community, municipality, or county that is deliberately and strategically all-Caucasian, using a variety of tactics to keep out other. Texas State Highway 6 crosses Highway 35 and passes through the center of Alvin, leading southeast 30 miles (48km) to Galveston and 28 miles (45km) northwest to Sugar Land, According to the United States Census Bureau, Alvin has a total area of 25.6 square miles (66.4km2), of which 24.3 square miles (62.9km2) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.5km2), or 5.26%, is water.[5]. Males had a median income of $36,216 versus $22,580 for females. If you have additional information, pro or con, please email it to us. This sundown town may have started a long time ago, but still remains an unsafe area for Blacks. I want to live in Alvin or south Houston. You can assess the information provided to form your own determination as to whether the town is a confirmed sundown town. A Black truck driver on TikTok known as Gideon reveals in a viral video what he witnessed last week while traveling through a . He met Flavor Flav in two separate Las Vegas bowling alleys and still cant stop talking about it. Apparently the weird vibes did not stop there. It may be less overt, but its still there. I will be their fifth employee at that location from what they told me. Will Caesars impress with Vegas High Roller? Vidor officials acknowledge racism is still present in Vidor. The TikToker goes on to state that while driving to his destination to drop off his load, he came across numerous trailer parks with Confederate flags and even a doll of a Black man hanging from a tree by its neck. Iredell. I got an internship in Alvin (I'm in Atlanta now) and I am trying to find housing foe the summer. ", Shortly after, another man arrived and quickly unloaded Gideon's truck. But, I realized, her comments only reflected part of the story. Signs were posted around the town that Black people were not welcome, and if theyre caught in the area after dark, it would not end well for them. "I'm from Houston and we're taught as kids to never stop there.". Malone and Baaheth coordinated with local EMS and police to ensure order at the march, which will also feature speakers from the NAACP Beaumont Branch, about 10 miles west of Vidor. You would much rather be in Friendswood, League City, or Dickinson than Alvin. Obama on fiscal cliff: Congress, I warned you, Ebola toll rises in 'unprecedented' outbreak. The library reopened in June 2011. Not one life matters more than another, so lets uphold that in court.. Although city officials have claimed that the town has undergone significant changes in recent decades, Gideons experience reveals that some things still havent changed. Hes optimistic that the march will go off without a hitch, but he also knows it will take a lot of work to move past the shadow of the towns racist past. The Alvin Library is a part of the Brazoria County Library System. 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Updated May 04, 2022 10:27 AM Additionally, he was warned by the man unloading his truck to get out of there as soon as possible., Dude, you might want to get up out of here as soon as possible, were at sundown, you want to leave here now,' the man allegedly told Gideon.Dont stop until you at least get to Beaumont. It's not a horrible place, but it's a small town with not much to do, there is no housing sanctions, and the community, in general, is bland and lower class. And we want to raise awareness to that, and we want to be able to speak up and say that were not all the same.. Here are 11 of them: Alba was a small sundown town in northeast Texas with a population of just under 500 people. Stop talking about it he writes about music and film for Forbes Billboard! Foe the summer population was 27,098 Jacket Grocery-Citgo stop talking about Vidor before he.... X27 ; town to me as a & # x27 ; sundown & # x27 ; d. are! 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