Drew, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location of Drew, Mississippi | |
  Drew, Mississippi Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:33°48′36″N90°31′49″W / 33.81000°N 90.53028°W /33.81000; -90.53028 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Sunflower |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.12 sq mi (2.91 km2) |
| • Land | 1.12 sq mi (2.91 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 138 ft (42 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,852 |
| • Density | 1,650.62/sq mi (637.33/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 38737-38738 |
| Area code | 662 |
| FIPS code | 28-20020 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2403508[2] |
Drew is a city inSunflower County,Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,927 at the 2010 census. Drew is in the vicinity of several plantations and theMississippi State Penitentiary, aMississippi Department of Corrections prison for men. It is noted for being the site of several racist murders, including thelynching ofJoe Pullen in 1923 and ofEmmett Till in 1955.
When theYellow Dog Railroad was extended through what is now Drew, the post office was moved from the Promised Land Plantation to the Drew location. The settlement and the post office were named for Miss Drew Daniel, daughter of Andrew Jackson Daniel.[3]
A school called the Little Red Schoolhouse was built by matching funds from theRosenwald Fund in 1928. In the 21st century it received a grant for renovation of the large school.[4]
In the 1920s, a man namedJoe Pullen waslynched near Drew after killing at least three members and wounding other members of a posse seeking him after he shot and killed another man.[5]
One historian wrote that the white residents of Drew had "traditionally been regarded as the most recalcitrant in the county on racial matters."[6] The author wrote that whites in Drew were "considered the most recalcitrant of Sunflower County, and perhaps the state."[7] He also claimed that Drew's proximity to theMississippi State Penitentiary made Drew "a dangerous place to be black", and claimed that during the 1930s and 1940s many police officers arbitrarily shot blacks, saying that they appeared to look like escaped prisoners.[7] That historian also claimed that during theCivil Rights Movement, when attempts were made to moveFannie Lou Hamer's movement for poor people fromRuleville to Drew, the organizers "faced stiff resistance".Mae Bertha Carter, an activist during theCivil Rights Movement, was from Drew.[6]
In 1955, 14-year-old African-American teenagerEmmett Louis Till was abducted, tortured, and shot to death in a barn near Drew. The killing attracted national attention. Some locals have raised money to purchase the barn for a memorial.[8]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), all land. Because of its small size, Billy Turner ofThe Times-Picayune said "[y]ou can travel all over town in a few minutes."[9] Drew is in the vicinity of several plantations and theMississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman), aMississippi Department of Corrections prison for men.[10]
Drew, in northernSunflower County,[11] is located onU.S. Route 49W, on the route betweenJackson andClarksdale.[12] Drew is 8 miles (13 km) south of the Mississippi State Penitentiary,[13] and it is north ofRuleville.[6]Cleveland, Mississippi is 12 miles (19 km) from Drew. Drew is north ofYazoo City.[9]
Many houses in Drew are government-owned. Some houses sold for $6,000 to $8,000 in the year until 2008. Some Drew residents stated in 2008 that, if put on the market, some houses would sell for over $120,000.[9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 195 | — | |
| 1910 | 278 | 42.6% | |
| 1920 | 721 | 159.4% | |
| 1930 | 1,373 | 90.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,579 | 15.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,681 | 6.5% | |
| 1960 | 2,143 | 27.5% | |
| 1970 | 2,574 | 20.1% | |
| 1980 | 2,528 | −1.8% | |
| 1990 | 2,349 | −7.1% | |
| 2000 | 2,434 | 3.6% | |
| 2010 | 1,927 | −20.8% | |
| 2020 | 1,852 | −3.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] | |||
.jpg)
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 198 | 10.69% |
| Black or African American | 1,573 | 84.94% |
| Native American | 5 | 0.27% |
| Asian | 3 | 0.16% |
| Other/Mixed | 44 | 2.38% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 29 | 1.57% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 1,852 people, 729 households, and 503 families residing in the city.
As of the2010 United States Census, there were 1,927 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 82.7% Black, 16.0% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian and 0.2% from two or more races. 0.7% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
As of thecensus[16] of 2000, there were 2,434 people, 811 households, and 606 families living in the city. The population density was 2,172.6 inhabitants per square mile (838.8/km2). There were 922 housing units at an average density of 823.0 per square mile (317.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 25.27%White, 73.58%African American, 0.12%Native American, 0.16%Asian, 0.37% fromother races, and 0.49% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.56% of the population.
There were 811 households, out of which 42.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% weremarried couples living together, 35.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.51.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 36.6% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 16.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,167, and the median income for a family was $20,469. Males had a median income of $22,351 versus $18,693 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $8,569. About 36.1% of families and 40.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 54.6% of those under age 18 and 23.0% of those age 65 or over.
At one time, Drew was the locality in the United States that had the mostcotton gins. In 2008, it only had one cotton gin. Billy Turner ofThe Times-Picayune said "[t]here's some corn, some beans, but mostly, there's no business."[9] By 2012 theSuperValu grocery store had closed. Melanie Townsend, a woman quoted in a 2012Bolivar Commercial article, said that since the grocery store closed, few employment opportunities were available in Drew and that theDrew School District was the largest employer in the area.[11]
Drew was first served by the predominantly African-AmericanDrew School District.[17][18] The City of Drew is currently served by theSunflower County Consolidated School District. Elementary and middle school students attend schools in Drew: A. W. James Elementary School (K-5) and Drew Hunter Middle School (6-8).[19] High school students attendRuleville Central High School inRuleville.[20]
TheNorth Sunflower Academy is in anunincorporated area of Sunflower County,[21] about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Drew.[22] The school originated as asegregation academy,[23]Mississippi Delta Community College has the Drew Center in Drew.[24]
The Sunflower County Library operates the Drew Public Library.[25]
Ruleville-Drew Airport is inunincorporated Sunflower County, between Drew andRuleville.[26] The airport is jointly operated by the cities of Drew and Ruleville.[27]
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Municipalities and communities ofSunflower County, Mississippi,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
