Dark legacy of America’s ‘cutest Christmas’ town that is bitterly dividing locals

In a quaint Alabama town where twinkling lights and festive cheer now paint the streets, a dark and unresolved legacy continues to haunt its residents.

Considered one of America’s “cutest Christmas towns,” Cullman still struggles with its racial past — a history rooted in segregation and the infamous “sundown” laws that once made it a dangerous place for black people after dark.

The small southern town, with a black population of just over one percent, hosts an annual Christmas-themed celebration, the Christkindlmarkt, which honors the town’s German roots and invites tourists from all over the world.

The festival lasts a month and consists of a Christmas pyramid, a 12-meter-high Christmas pyramid – the highest in the country – an ice rink, a Ferris wheel and a life-size nativity scene.

The Hallmark-inspired market recently caught the attention of Southern Living for its iconic festivities, as the publication noted that the market was “in the perfect small town.”

But despite all the festive holiday cheer, the city remains divided over whether the town of 20,000 is really a “sunset” town.

Dating back to the 1950s, a “sundown town” refers to a predominantly white community that uses intimidation, violence, or discriminatory laws to exclude non-white people.

The term comes from the signs telling non-white people to leave town before the sun sets.

The small southern town, with a black population of just over one percent, hosts an annual Christmas-themed event (pictured), the Christkindlmarkt, which honors the town’s German roots and invites tourists from all over the world.

Now Cullman has now been forced to confront the racist ghost of his past after a TikTok video sparked widespread discussion about his unpleasant decades-long reputation.

“Yes, we have drama in Alabama,” the now-viral video says. “No one comes to Cullman,” the poster says, laughing.

“Cullman, Alabama is a sunset town. Was, is, forever will be,” the video continues. ‘If they really change and become more hospitable…. They have to put some marketing efforts into that first.’

Still, some disagree, claiming the change happened a long time ago and they hope people will see how far Cullman has come.

Cullman’s Parks and Recreation Executive Director Nathan Anderson said that while the city’s history is complex, “like most southern communities,” he hopes people will see for themselves that history has changed for the better.

‘Our message is: please come and experience it. “I can assure you that this is not what you hear from those who don’t know us, who haven’t been here, and certainly not in the last few decades,” Anderson said. AL.com.

“All I can say is, that’s not our story for today. We are the opposite and go to church with a diverse group of people. My children go to school with a diverse group of people. You know, we play with them. It’s the opposite of what others say.’

Anderson added that 16.6 percent of the event’s attendees over Thanksgiving weekend were from the Black community. The data was collected using an AI analytics tool that tracks consumer foot traffic called Placer.ai.

The festival lasts a month and consists of an ice rink, a Ferris wheel and a life-size nativity scene and runs from November 21 to December 23.

But despite Anderson’s confirmation that the city has moved on from its racist roots, many have taken to social media to share their concerns about the city and its practices.

“Born and raised in Montgomery….this is so true!!! We were told never to stop between Birmingham and Huntsville…make sure your tank is FULL!” one user commented on the viral video.

The Christkindlmarkt also features a Christmas pyramid, a 12-meter-high Christmas pyramid, the highest in the country.

‘Born and raised in Bama, that’s right. My husband was looking at houses in Bama and he found one in Cullman. I said uh, NO, he said why I said YOU wouldn’t be safe there in the dark. So I had to tell him,” another commented.

Another commented, “As a resident of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, currently living in VA, this is so true. My family is still in the state they/we know better.”

Several other social media posts also claimed that Cullman was as it was in the 1950s. However, former state Rep. James C. Fields Jr., a black Democrat and lifelong resident of the area, said nothing could be further from the truth.

‘Cullman did have the name sundown town, but to now lay that at the feet of the progress that has been made in Cullman, the diversity that is everywhere in the area… I didn’t bother going on TikTok to to see what was actually said, but that is an injustice, and it is an unfairness to the city of Cullman,” Fields shared. 1819 News.

“I’ve worked in Cullman all my life and I’m 70 years old; served on several boards locally and statewide,” he continued.

“But why anyone would be motivated or moved to post something like that… that would be the furthest thing from the truth that people of color wouldn’t feel comfortable going to the park and enjoying everything they have there. ‘

“I have lived in Cullman County all my life and it is not fair to see the bad history of this community from 80 years ago resurfaced,” said Senator Garlan Gudger. “Cullman is a family community that is safe and welcoming to all who attend our Christmas events or any event.” In the photo: a Ferris wheel during the event in December

Despite all the festive revelry, the city remains divided over whether it is truly a “sundown” city: a predominantly white community that uses intimidation, violence or discriminatory laws to exclude non-white people. Pictured: A Ku Klux Klan special commando unit in Cullman, Alabama, circa 1975

Another state representative, Sen. Garlan Gudger, agreed with Fields that it was unfair to call Cullman a sunset city.

“I have lived in Cullman County all my life and it is not fair to see the bad history of this community from 80 years ago resurfaced,” Gudger said.

“Cullman is a family community that is safe and welcoming to all who attend our Christmas events or any event.”

Cullman’s Christkindlmarkt is scheduled from November 21 to December 23, seven days a week.