Located amidst expansive fields of corn in the western region of Illinois lies Cuba, a quaint town that is inhabited by approximately 1,100 individuals.
According to the last U.S. census, the demographic of Cuba High School is primarily white, accounting for 95 percent. From time to time, Joe Brewer, a history teacher at the school, receives inquiries from his students regarding this fact.
According to Brewer, her students are eager to inquire about the history of lynchings in their local area. Even though it may still be a sensitive topic for some, Brewer acknowledges that her students are determined to address these difficult questions.
Illinois legislators aimed to foster empathy among non-Black students by mandating the inclusion of Black history in the public school curriculum. This move expanded the curriculum requirements for Black history in the state.
In 2021, Representative LaShawn K. Ford from Chicago played a crucial role in passing a law. He expressed that the community had an expressed desire for more education about the history of Black people before they were enslaved.
During the 21st talk show, Ford shared that the community believed that in order to treat people with respect and fairness, it was important to have knowledge about their background and origins.
Illinois schools, particularly in rural areas, are predominantly composed of white students.
Discovering ways to navigate conversations surrounding race and sexuality can be challenging, especially in a rural classroom setting. In a two-part series by Illinois Public Media, one teacher’s approach to addressing these topics is explored. The second part of the series delves into the teacher’s methods for discussing sexuality in the classroom.
Did Cuba function as a sundown town?
In March, Brewer was leading his students in examining evidence to determine if their town had been accepting of African Americans during the 1920s on a particularly sunny day.
In 1910, Cuba’s population reached an unprecedented high of 2,000 people, as demonstrated by the data presented to them.
“Can you believe it? Just 10 years later, things took a drastic turn. In 1920, the growth rate plummeted from a record high of 68.5% to an unprecedented decline of 26.5% within a single census.”
James Loewen, a renowned expert on sundown towns, which were places where African Americans were warned to leave before nightfall, shared his notes on the topic in the next slide. In an effort to gather more information, Loewen visited Cuba and conducted interviews with its residents, spurred by the census irregularity.
Brewer instructed his students to peruse Loewen’s final thoughts on Cuba’s status as a sundown town, which he deemed as highly likely.
Brewer explained that when faced with a murder trial and determining whether Cameron committed the murder, if the jury delivers a verdict of “probable,” it essentially means that he most likely did it. Brewer himself is fairly certain that Cameron is guilty, but the lack of concrete evidence makes it difficult to prove.
Racial violence was often associated with sundown towns.
After Loewen’s passing, others have taken on the work that he had started.
Jessica Crowe, a former sociology professor at Southern Illinois University, reveals that sundown towns used various methods to keep Black residents from settling down. Some towns drove out existing Black residents, while others established formal or informal laws that warned new Black migrants from the South not to settle in.
Crowe recalled the signs that were once posted on the outskirts of town. The signs varied in message, but all conveyed the same theme. They warned people of a certain race not to let the sun set on their head while in the town. The memories of these signs still linger among the residents.
Crowe’s upbringing took place in Pana, Illinois, which was a documented sundown town. Unfortunately, in 1899, there was a tragic incident involving conflicts over mining jobs that resulted in the death of five Black people and two white people. The aftermath of this event saw the violent expulsion of other Black residents.
According to the U.S. Census, the town remains 97 percent white, and Crowe revealed that her education barely touched on the subject of race.
Crowe admitted to struggling with interacting with people of different races during his college years. “You go to college, and there are all these people that are not white. How do I interact in that social setting? How do I not offend people? I made some big mistakes,” he acknowledged.
According to Crowe, she unknowingly used words that were deemed offensive, and it was only later on that she corrected her mistake. Looking back, she wishes she had been more informed and educated about these issues during her younger years.
Is it possible for education to combat racism?
Crowe believes that if she had received more education about race, she could have avoided some of the embarrassing mistakes she made in the past. This raises the question of whether education can play a role in preventing racism on a larger scale.
Dr. Iloradanon Efimoff, a psychology professor from Canada, conducted experiments with introduction to psychology students and published a study in 2023. The study revealed that it is possible to influence behavior through certain methods.
According to Efimoff, even though the type of learning may vary, any form of learning is still superior to not learning at all.
Over the course of a few months, the students were taught about racism, which resulted in a noticeable increase in their understanding of Indigenous people. Notably, the students became more empathetic towards Indigenous people, reflecting a positive shift in their attitudes.
Over time, she found that understanding racism as a system that benefits white people over Indigenous people in Canada was more effective than simply viewing it as a bias against a particular group.
Efimoff speculated on the potential reasons behind the decrease in participants’ acknowledgement of white privilege when learning about individual racism.
According to her, racism is often viewed as an abnormality within an individual who holds racist beliefs or attitudes. This perspective allows the larger system to be ignored while also enabling participants to claim that they are not racist.
According to Efimoff, with time, the participants tend to forget some of the knowledge they had acquired and lose the empathy that they had developed. To prevent this loss, Efimoff stresses the importance of long-term learning, such as lessons over multiple years in school.
Joe Brewer is filled with optimism when it comes to his students.
“Each generation should strive to renew democracy. So, what kind of school experience do young people desire? And what does the future hold for struggling and aging communities?”
According to students, if white people feel discomfort, they would not want to repeat the same thing again.
At the end of class on a sunny day at Cuba High School, Brewer reached out to his students for assistance. He requested that they assess Cuba’s history as a potential sundown town in comparison to other indications, such as its position within the underground railroad that aided enslaved individuals in their escape to freedom.
Brewer posed an intriguing question, “Can you assist us in unraveling this mystery? There seems to be no agreement on it. What was our role during the Great Migration? Did we belong to the communities that welcomed people?”
Samantha Thum, a junior, concluded that Cuba was a relatively welcoming place.
Thum expressed uncertainty about the level of welcome they received in Illinois compared to other places, but acknowledged that it was difficult to find accepting white people during that time. “Maybe we were welcomed more than others in Illinois, but I don’t think anyone was particularly welcoming, especially among the white population,” Thum stated.
According to her, it’s crucial for white students to learn uncomfortable truths like these, even if it may be difficult.
She explained that if those responsible for the oppression and marginalization of African Americans, such as white people, feel uneasy about the current situation, they will be more inclined to prevent similar circumstances from occurring in the future.
Illinois Public Media has a reporter named Emily Hays.