Drew, Mississippi

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Drew, Mississippi
City
The Drew Town Square
The Drew Town Square
Location of Drew, Mississippi
Location of Drew, Mississippi
CountryUnited States
StateMississippi
CountySunflower
Area
 • Total1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2)
 • Land1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
135 ft (41 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total2,434
 • Density2,172.6/sq mi (838.8/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
38737-38738
Area code662
FIPS code28-20020
GNIS feature ID0669383

Drew is a city in Sunflower County, Mississippi. The population was 2,434 at the 2000 census. Drew is in the vicinity of several plantations and the Mississippi State Penitentiary, a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men.

History

Drew, Mississippi

Todd J. Moye, author of Let the People Decide: Black Freedom and White Resistance Movements in Sunflower County, Mississippi, 1945-1986, said that the white residents of Drew "traditionally been regarded as the most recalcitrant in the count on racial matters."[1] During the 20th Century African-American Civil Rights Movement, when attempts were made to move Fannie Lou Hamer's movement for poor people in Ruleville to Drew, the organizers, according to Moye, "faced stiff resistance."[1] Mae Bertha Carter, a major figure in the area civil rights movement, originated from Drew.[1]

Geography

Drew is located at 33°48′36″N 90°31′50″W / 33.81000°N 90.53056°W / 33.81000; -90.53056 (33.809923, -90.530530)Template:GR. According to the United 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 of The Times-Picayune said "[y]ou can travel all over town in a few minutes."[2] Drew is in the vicinity of several plantations and the Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman), a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men.[3]

Drew, in northern Sunflower County,[4] is located on U.S. Route 49W, on the route between Jackson and Clarksdale.[5] Drew is 8 miles (13 km) south of the Mississippi State Penitentiary,[6] and it is north of Ruleville.[1] Cleveland, Mississippi is 12 miles (19 km) from Drew. Drew is north of Yazoo City.[2]

Many houses in Drew are government-owned. Some houses sold for $6,000 to $8,000 in the year until Saturday January 26, 2008. Some Drew residents said in 2008 that some houses, if put on the market, would sell for over $120,000.[2]

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 2,434 people, 811 households, and 606 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,172.6 people per square mile (839.1/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% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino 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% were married 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. The per capita income for the city was $8,569. About 36.1% of families and 40.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 54.6% of those under age 18 and 23.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

Drew includes some large brick buildings that serve as public housing.[2]

The United States Postal Service operates the Drew Post Office.[7]

Economy

At one time, Drew was the locality in the United States that had the most cotton gins. In 2008, it only had one cotton gin. Billy Turner of The Times-Picayune said "[t]here's some corn, some beans, but mostly, there's no business."[2] By 2012 the SuperValu grocery store had closed. Melanie Townsend, a woman quoted in a 2012 Bolivar Commercial article, said that since the grocery store closed, few employment opportunities were available in Drew and that the Drew School District was the largest employer in the area.[4]

Education

The City of Drew is served by the Sunflower County School District. Elementary and middle school students attend school in Drew. High school students attend Ruleville Central High School in Ruleville.[8]

Previously it was served by the Drew School District.[9][10] Prior to closure, the district's schools were Drew Hunter High School and A.W. James Elementary School.[11] Prior to the 2010-2011 school year the school district had three school buildings, including A.W. James Elementary School, Hunter Middle School, and Drew High School.[9] Dorothea Collier was the first African-American to attend Drew High School. She was shot to death in 1971 at age 18.[12] Prior to desegregation, the Lil’ Red Rosenwald School served as the school for African-Americans. It now houses a community center.[13]

As of July 1, 2012, the Drew School District will be consolidated with the Sunflower County School District. Drew Hunter closed as of that date, with high school students rezoned to Ruleville Central High School.[8]

The North Sunflower Academy is in an unincorporated area of Sunflower County,[14] about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Drew.[15] The school originated as a segregation academy.[16] After Drew School District was desegregated, White residents of Drew enrolled their children in North Sunflower Academy. In 2008, 90% of the students at Drew High School were black.[2]

Mississippi Delta Community College has the Drew Center in Drew.[17]

Transportation

Ruleville-Drew Airport is in unincorporated Sunflower County, between Drew and Ruleville.[18] The airport is jointly operated by the cities of Drew and Ruleville.[19]

Notable residents (past and present)

  • Mae Bertha Carter[20]
  • William Eggleston, internationally famous groundbreaking photographer, grew up in Drew
  • Archie Manning, former NFL quarterback[21]
    • After Manning left to attend the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), he never lived in Drew again. His mother, Sis Manning, and his sister, Pam Manning, lived in Drew until Sis died on December 30, 2000. After Sis died, Pam moved to Oxford, Mississippi. Manning previously owned some farming land in Drew, but he later sold it. As of 2008, no sign in Drew commemorates Manning. According to Joanne Manning, a sign that had previously commemorated Manning fell down, and no individuals replaced it. One section of the Drew Cemetery is dedicated to the Manning family. The graves of Archie Manning's parents, uncles, and grandfather are located there.[2]
    • The former residence of Archie Manning is located at the intersection of Green and Third, across from the former Drew High School. Manning's father had committed suicide in that house.[2]
  • Booboo Davis, blues singer, released an album entitled Drew, Mississippi[citation needed]
  • Pops Staples and Cleotha Staples, members of The Staple Singers[22]
  • Harold Dorman, rock and roll singer and songwriter

References

  1. ^ a b c d Moye, J. Todd. Let the People Decide: Black Freedom and White Resistance Movements in Sunflower County, Mississippi, 1945-1986. University of North Carolina Press, November 29, 2004. 28. Retrieved from Google Books on February 26, 2012. ISBN 0-8078-5561-8, ISBN 978-0-8078-5561-4.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Turner, Billy. "The hometown Archie once knew is no more." The Times-Picayune. Saturday January 26, 2009. Retrieved on March 30, 2012.
  3. ^ Wallace, Belinda Deneen. "Intolerable Burden, The." The Journal of Negro Education. Winter (northern hemisphere) 2005. 1. Retrieved on July 22, 2010.
  4. ^ a b Wright, Chance. "Students protest merger." The Bolivar Commercial. April 8, 2012. Retrieved on April 12, 2012.
  5. ^ McGill, Ralph. "The Valid Voice." The Toledo Blade. Saturday June 15, 1963. Page 6. Retrieved from Google News (4 of 16) on March 4, 2011.
  6. ^ Buntin, John. "Down on Parchman Farm." Governing Magazine. July 27, 2010. Retrieved on August 13, 2010.
  7. ^ "Post Office™ Location - DREW." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on February 27, 2011.
  8. ^ a b Amy, Jeff. "Mississippi to return Okolona schools to local control; district merger ends Drew High School." Associated Press at The Republic. May 17, 2012. Retrieved on June 12, 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Drew School District Audited Financial Statements For the Year Ended June 30, 2005." Office of the State Auditor, State of Mississippi. 12 (18/82). Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  10. ^ "Schools in Drew School District." Greatschools.net. Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  11. ^ "Schools." Drew School District. Retrieved on August 16, 2010.
  12. ^ "3 Whites Held in Slaying of Mississippi Black Girl." United Press International at the Palm Beach Post. May 26, 1971. A1. Retrieved from Google Books (74 of 190) on March 1, 2011.
  13. ^ "A Rosenwald School." Little Red Schoolhouse (William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, University of Mississippi). Retrieved on September 11, 2011.
  14. ^ "Home." North Sunflower Academy. Retrieved on August 10, 2010.
  15. ^ "Driving directions." North Sunflower Academy. Retrieved on August 10, 2010.
  16. ^ Moye, J. Todd. Let the People Decide: Black Freedom and White Resistance Movements in Sunflower County, Mississippi, 1945-1986. UNC Press Books, 2004. 243. Retrieved from Google Books on March 2, 2011. "Sunflower County's two other segregation academies— North Sunflower Academy, between Drew and Ruleville, and Central Delta Academy in Inverness— both sprouted in a similar fashion." ISBN 0-8078-5561-8, ISBN 978-0-8078-5561-4.
  17. ^ "Off Campus Centers." Mississippi Delta Community College. Retrieved on July 20, 2010.
  18. ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for M37 PDF - Retrieved on September 23, 2010.
  19. ^ "Poplarville, Hattiesburg among airports receiving grants." WDAM. March 12, 2010. Retrieved on September 23, 2010.
  20. ^ Ravo, Nick. "Mae Bertha Carter, 76, Mother Who Defied Segregation Law." The New York Times. May 6, 1999. Retrieved on March 30, 2012.
  21. ^ Didinger, Ray. "NFL Notebook: Archie Manning earns Bagnell award." Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. Sunday August 14, 2011. Retrieved on September 2, 2011. "He thought it was good fortune to be drafted by a team so close to home (Drew, Miss.)[...]"
  22. ^ Jon Pareles (December 22, 2000). "Pops Staples, Patriach of the Staple Singers, Dies at 85". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-18.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drew,_Mississippi&oldid=526048720"