But Culver City wasn’t always like this. Did you know that many people believe Culver City was a sundown town? It’s hard to imagine that this place used to have such institutional racism. It may feel like this could complicate your love for this city, but I don’t think it should. Understanding the past helps us see a better future and appreciate the present.
A Pictures Perfect City (Not for Everyone)
Culver City has long promoted itself as a shining example of American optimism. Dubbed “The Heart of Screenland,” the town grew up around movie studios like MGM, later Sony Pictures, offering postcard-perfect visions of suburbia to the world. But, behind the Hollywood magic was something darker.
In the early 20th century, Culver City operated as a sundown town.
“Early in its history, Culver City was purported to be a “sundown town.” The term “sundown down” was coined in the nineteenth century and referred to the notion that African Americans and other people of color were allowed to work in the city during the daytime, but were required to leave by “sundown.”
Scholar James Loewen, who has written extensively on the subject, described sundown towns as follows:
A sundown town is any organized jurisdiction that for decades kept African Americans or other groups from living in it and was thus ‘all‐white’ on purpose…Many towns drove out their Black populations, then posted sundown signs. Other towns passed ordinance barring African Americans after dark or prohibiting them from owning or renting property; still others established such policies by informal means, harassing and even killing those who violated the rule. Some sundown towns similarly kept out Jews, Chinese, Mexicans, Native Americans, or other groups.
Scholar Kelly Lytle Hernández nods to this perception in her book City of Inmates: Conquest, Rebellion, and the Rise of Human Caging in Los Angeles, noting that in the 1920s and ‘30s, Black musicians referred to the suburbs of Los Angeles as “Little Texas” or “Little Mississippi.” There is no concrete evidence indicating that Culver City had posted signs or other “official” indicators that it was a “sundown town.” However, as explained by Loewen and suggested in other sources, this was not uncommon, as many communities enforced these attitudes through practices that achieved the goals of achieving racial segregation through less overt means. “
While Culver City may never have posted an official sign, its message was still loud and clear. Early promotional materials reveal how central whiteness was to the town’s identity. A real estate ad from 1914 boasted:
“See this model little white city, scarcely a year and a half old.”
The term “white city” was doing double duty. On the surface, it might have referred to the town’s cleanliness or architectural style. But it also echoed the “White City” of the 1893 Chicago’s World Columbian Exposition. An event now seen as clearly glorifying white supremacy and excluding African American contributions. In that context, the phrase becomes harder to ignore.
Real estate agents reinforced these exclusionary ideals in even more explicit terms. One ad promised toys from Santa to every child who brought an adult to a holiday home tour, “Lots and presents restricted to Caucasian race.”
And it wasn’t just ads. The Harry Culver Company’s sales team once raised money for a local church by staging a minstrel show. It used blackface to parody and dehumanize Black Americans for entertainment.
This was part of a broader pattern of racial exclusion backed by policy. In 1913, Culver stated that his new development would offer “proper restrictions” code for deed covenants that prohibited people of color from buying property. Zoning laws were used in tandem with these restrictions. Minimum lot sizes or other criteria were designed to exclude low-income families and, by extension, nonwhite residents.
As Culver rose in the ranks of the regional real estate elite, eventually serving as president of the Los Angeles Realty Board, he championed these methods. In 1927, the Board explicitly recommended that Realtors not sell homes to anyone “other than Caucasian in territories occupied by them.” These weren’t isolated views; this was the statewide norm.
Meanwhile, the Ku Klux Klan had an active presence throughout Southern California, including Culver City. The 1920s and 30s saw rallies, intimidation tactics, and a culture of fear that disproportionately affected Black and Latino Angelenos. Even decades later, residents of color have described driving through Culver City as “running a gauntlet,” subjected to routine police stops for no other reason than race.
The Legacy Today
It would be easy to think of Culver City’s sundown town era as ancient history. It’s tempting to think it’s something long buried beneath progress and modernity. But history doesn’t stay buried. It shapes how cities grow, who feels welcome, and who gets left out.
The housing patterns created by early 20th-century exclusion are still visible today. Much of Culver City’s residential zoning, like in many Los Angeles suburbs, remains limited to single-family homes. These zoning restrictions, rooted in efforts to keep communities white and wealthy, continue to limit affordable housing options.
Black residents, who make up nearly 9% of Los Angeles County, account for less than 8% of Culver City’s population and that number has dropped since the 1980s. The legacy of exclusion is baked into property values, school boundaries, and access to public services. And, while Culver City has made strides toward inclusion and equity, the city still grapples with uncomfortable truths around policing, housing equity, and systemic bias.
Take, for instance, a recent reckoning over the city’s police budget, which in past years consumed over a third of the city’s general fund. During the national racial justice protests of 2020, residents, including many young people, spoke up in public forums about feeling targeted or unsafe. The City Council has since taken steps to invest in alternatives to traditional policing. They want to examine the role public safety should play in an equitable city, but the work is ongoing and, for many, personal.
Why Acknowledging the Past Matters
Talking about Culver City’s racist history isn’t about assigning guilt to current residents. It’s about telling the full truth. Acknowledging the past still informs our present.
If you grew up here, moved here, or simply spend time here, then you’re part of the story. That doesn’t mean you’re to blame for the sins of Harry Culver or the real estate boards of the 1920s. But, it does mean we all have a stake in how Culver City moves forward.
That means asking questions:
- How do we ensure affordable housing options in neighborhoods shaped by exclusion?
- How do we make public spaces safe and welcoming for everyone, especially those historically pushed out?
- How do we educate our children about the full history of the places they call home?
Acknowledging the past is the first step. Repairing its impact is the next. And, that starts with refusing to look away. You need to be willing to look at old newspaper clippings, see discriminatory policies, and work to fix the real harm caused by those systems.
An Integrated Future
While Southern beliefs focused on segregation forever, Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) has set an exceptional standard. In 2020, CCUSD was named the third most diverse district in the state of California. Niche Independently named CCUSD number one for diversity in the Los Angeles area. Culver City High School’s sports teams have seen success and diversity in 2025.
Culver City has evolved over the last 100 years. From Harry Culver’s “white city” with gifts only for children of the “Caucasian race” to a place where schools teach children of all ethnicities equally. Giving them an opportunity to build a more intelligent and more integrated future.