Greenwood, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
Suburban town | |
| Town of Greenwood | |
 Greenwood Municipal Complex | |
 Wordmark | |
| Motto: Gateway to Louisiana | |
 Location of Greenwood in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. | |
.svg) Location of Louisiana in the United States | |
| Coordinates:32°26′30″N93°59′10″W / 32.44167°N 93.98611°W /32.44167; -93.98611[1] | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Parish | Caddo |
| Founded | 1839 |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.01 sq mi (23.34 km2) |
| • Land | 8.99 sq mi (23.29 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 276 ft (84 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,166 |
| • Rank | CD: 3rd |
| • Density | 352.01/sq mi (135.91/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 71033[3] |
| Area code | 318 |
| FIPS code | 22-31705 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406617[1] |
| Website | greenwoodla |
Greenwood is asuburban town in southernCaddo Parish, which is located in the northwest corner of theU.S. state ofLouisiana. With a population of 3,166 at the2020 United States census,[4] it is the third most populous incorporated municipality in Caddo Parish afterShreveport andBlanchard. Part of theShreveport-Bossier City metropolitan statistical area, it is located 15 miles west of downtown Shreveport.
Greenwood was established byEuropean Americans in 1839 after the forcedIndian Removal of theCaddo people toIndian Territory (nowOklahoma) west of theMississippi River.
As in the rest of Louisiana, most Black or African Americans were disenfranchised from the turn of the 20th century into the 1960s, and the state was dominated by whiteDemocrats; Caddo ParishSheriff J. Howell Flournoy, who served a record 26 years in office from 1940 to 1966, was born in Greenwood in 1891 and was part of the political Flournoy dynasty.[5]
Earnest Lampkins (1928–2018), a native of Shreveport, earned a PhD and had a career as a music educator. He taught music at all levels, becoming supervisor of music forCaddo Parish. He founded the Louisiana School of Professions.[6] In 2004, Lampkins was elected as the first black mayor of Greenwood, where he had long been active in the community. Against running for a second term, Lampkins ceased any intentions due to gunshots fired into his house, alongside continued threats and racism.[7][8]
Greenwood is located in western Caddo Parish. Greenwood Road (U.S. Routes80 and79) is the main route through the center of town.Interstate 20 passes through the northern part of the town, with access from exits 3 and 5. DowntownShreveport is 15 miles (24 km) to the east, andWaskom,Texas, is 6 miles (10 km) to the west.Carthage,Texas, is 31 miles (50 km) to the southwest down U.S. 79. Greenwood is approximately 165 miles east ofDallas,Texas, and about 290 miles northwest ofNew Orleans.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Greenwood has a total area of 9.0 square miles (23.3 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.04 km2), or 0.19%, is water.[9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 212 | — | |
| 1980 | 1,043 | 392.0% | |
| 1990 | 2,092 | 100.6% | |
| 2000 | 2,458 | 17.5% | |
| 2010 | 3,219 | 31.0% | |
| 2020 | 3,166 | −1.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] | |||
Since the establishment of Greenwood, its population was overshadowed by the larger and nearby Shreveport to its east, and Waskom, Texas to the west; at the1970 United States census, the town of Greenwood had a population of 212. In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau tabulated a population of 3,166,[11] down from the historic high of 3,219 at the2010 United States census. At the publication of the 2020 census, Greenwood remained the third largest community in Caddo Parish, while Blanchard overtookVivian as the second-largest.
There were 1,351 households at the 2020American Community Survey's 5 year estimates program, among which 755 were married-couple households.[12] The average family size was 2.80, and the average household size was 2.34; in 2000, the average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.00. Among its population, 92.3% have attained ahigh school diploma or higher, and 27.2% of residents attained a bachelor's degree or higher.
[12] In 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $40,408, and the median income for a family was $52,955. Males had a median income of $38,750 versus $26,622 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $19,374. About 9.3% of families and 13.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over. In 2018, the American Community Survey determined the median income was $60,809; the mean income was $91,984, making Greenwood one of the wealthiest communities within theShreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area.[13] During the American Community Survey's 2020 census estimates, its median household income was $55,034; the mean income also slightly declined to $86,979.[14]
| Race and ethnicity | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,908 | 60.27% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 859 | 27.13% |
| Native American | 22 | 0.69% |
| Asian | 24 | 0.76% |
| Other/Mixed | 193 | 6.1% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 160 | 5.05% |
For a majority of Greenwood's history, the town has been predominantly non-Hispanic white, though diversification has broadened the racial and ethnic makeup of the suburban community alongside much of the United States.[15]
According to the2000 U.S. census,[4] the racial and ethnic makeup of Greenwood was 77.01%White American, 20.63%Black or African American, 0.41%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.33%Asian, 0.16%Native Hawaiian orother Pacific Islander, 0.45% fromother races and ethnicities, and 1.02% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino Americans of any race were 1.79% of the population. By the 2020 census, its racial and ethnic makeup was 60.27%non-Hispanic white, 27.13% Black or African American, 0.69% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.76% Asian, 6.1% multiracial or of another race or ethnicity, and 5.05% Hispanic or Latino American of any race.[11] The growing Hispanic or Latino American population reflected nationwide demographic trends following the 2014 to 2019 census estimates and 2020 census.[16]
According toSperling's BestPlaces in 2020, the population of Greenwood has remained primarilyChristian.[17] Dominated byProtestantism as most ofNorth andCentral Louisiana,Baptists were the largest Christian tradition by adherence. Baptists in Greenwood are mainly served by theSouthern Baptist Convention, though thepredominantly Black or African AmericanNational Baptist Convention of America andNational Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. have congregations throughout the area. Following,Methodists andPentecostals dominated the religious landscape, withCatholic Christians served by theRoman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport.
But Lampkins' toughest personal test came in 2007 during his first term as mayor of Greenwood, just west of Shreveport. Lampkins decided not to seek a second term, largely because someone fired shots into his home. He, his wife and one of their children were home but no one was hurt. "If I had any intentions of running again, that just killed my ambitions right away," Lampkins said at the time. "That was a cowardly act. It bothered me that someone would shoot in my house and endanger my wife and kid."
Less than two weeks after that, shots were fired into the house of Earnest Lampkins, the first Black mayor of the northwest Louisiana town of Greenwood. Lampkins reported that he continued to receive threats throughout his term, including a "for sale" sign that someone planted outside his house.
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent parish or parishes | |
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