Drew is a city in Sunflower County,

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. The population was 1,927 at the 2010 census. Drew is in the vicinity of several plantations and the

Mississippi State Penitentiary Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP), also known as Parchman Farm, is a maximum-security prison farm located in unincorporated Sunflower County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region. Occupying about of land,Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men. It is noted for several racist murders, including the

lynching Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

Emmett Till Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941August 28, 1955) was a 14-year-old African Americans, African American boy who was abducted, tortured, and Lynching in the United States, lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a whi ...

in 1955.

History

When the Yellow 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 Post Office were named for Miss Drew Daniel, daughter of Andrew Jackson Daniel. A school called the Little Red Schoolhouse was built by matching funds from the

Rosenwald Fund The Rosenwald Fund (also known as the Rosenwald Foundation, the Julius Rosenwald Fund, and the Julius Rosenwald Foundation) was established in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald and his family for "the well-being of mankind." Rosenwald became part-owner of S ...

in 1928. In the 21st century it received a grant for renovation of the large school. In the 1920s, a man named Joe Pullen was lynched near Drew after killing 13 members of his lynch mob and injuring 26 of them. One historian wrote that the white residents of Drew had "traditionally been regarded as the most recalcitrant in the county on racial matters."Moye, p
28
The author wrote that whites in Drew were "considered the most recalcitrant of Sunflower County, and perhaps the state."Moye, p
128
He also claimed that Drew's proximity to the

Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...

, when attempts were made to move Fannie Lou Hamer's movement for poor people from Ruleville to Drew, the organizers "faced stiff resistance".

Mae Bertha Carter Mae Bertha Carter (January 13, 1923 – April 28, 1999) was an activist during the Civil Rights Movement from Drew, Mississippi.Moye, J. Todd. '' Let the People Decide: Black Freedom and White Resistance Movements in Sunflower County, Mississippi, 1 ...

, a major figure in the area civil rights movement, was from Drew. In August of 1955, 14 year old

was tortured and murdered in a barn near Drew. His killers then disposed of his body in the nearby Tallahatchie River. The racist

became nationally known for its brutality, and because of Till's mother's choice to have an open-casket funeral for her son. According to the FBI agent assigned to the case, the killers chose the barn in Drew because they thought it was a place where no one who would object to the murder would see or overhear the events. However, a young man from Drew named Willie Reed witnessed the murder and testified in court. The accused murderers were acquitted in court, but later confessed to the killing in a magazine interview. The site of the killing is located on private property. Joetha Collier, often misspelled by the media in the past as Jo Etha Collier, was one of many African-Americans to attend Drew High School starting in the fall of 1970, and was shot to death in 1971 at age 18.3 Whites Held in Slaying of Mississippi Black Girl
" ''

United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 2 ...

'' at the '' Palm Beach Post''. May 26, 1971. A1. Retrieved from

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...

(74 of 190) on March 1, 2011. Some locals have raised money to purchase the barn where Till was murdered, for the purpose of building a memorial. As of 2021 this is unfinished.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. Because of its small size, Billy Turner of '' The Times-Picayune'' said " u can travel all over town in a few minutes."Turner, Billy.
The hometown Archie once knew is no more
" '' The Times-Picayune''. Saturday January 26, 2009. Retrieved on March 30, 2012. Drew is in the vicinity of several plantations and the

Mississippi State Penitentiary Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP), also known as Parchman Farm, is a maximum-security prison farm located in unincorporated Sunflower County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region. Occupying about of land,Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men. Drew, in northern Sunflower County,Wright, Chance.
Students protest merger
" ''

The Bolivar Commercial ''The Bolivar Commercial'' was a newspaper in Cleveland, Mississippi from 1916 to 2020. It was owned by Walls Newspapers. Amid large revenue losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, ''Commercial'' owner Lee Walls in April 2020 announced t ...

''. April 8, 2012. Retrieved on April 12, 2012. is located on U.S. Route 49W, on the route between Jackson and Clarksdale. Drew is south of the Mississippi State Penitentiary,Buntin, John.
Down on Parchman Farm
" '' Governing Magazine''. July 27, 2010. Retrieved on August 13, 2010. and it is north of Ruleville. Cleveland, Mississippi is from Drew. Drew is north of

Yazoo City Yazoo City is a U.S. city in Yazoo County, Mississippi. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's ...

. 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.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 1,852 people, 729 households, and 503 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

, 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.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 2,434 people, 811 households, and 606 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

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 White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 73.58%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.12% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.37% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

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 Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $8,569. About 36.1% of families and 40.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, 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. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

operates the Drew Post Office.

Economy

At one time, Drew was the locality in the United States that had the most

cotton gin A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (); a ...

s. In 2008, it only had one cotton gin. Billy Turner of '' The Times-Picayune'' said " ere's some corn, some beans, but mostly, there's no business." By 2012 the SuperValu grocery store had closed. Melanie Townsend, a woman quoted in a 2012 ''

Bolivar Commercial ''The Bolivar Commercial'' was a newspaper in Cleveland, Mississippi from 1916 to 2020. It was owned by Walls Newspapers. Amid large revenue losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, ''Commercial'' owner Lee Walls in April 2020 announced t ...

'' 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.

Education

The City of Drew is served by the

Sunflower County Consolidated School District The Sunflower County Consolidated School District (SCCSD), formerly the Sunflower County School District (SCSD), is a public school district with its headquarters in Indianola, Mississippi in the Mississippi Delta. The district serves all of Sunf ...

. Elementary and middle school students attend schools in Drew: A. W. James Elementary School (K-5) and Drew Hunter Middle School (6-8).Handbook 2012-2013
"
Archive
Sunflower County School District. Retrieved on October 9, 2013. High school students attend Ruleville Central High School in Ruleville.Amy, Jeff.
Mississippi to return Okolona schools to local control; district merger ends Drew High School
" ''

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...

'' at '' The Republic''. May 17, 2012. Retrieved on June 12, 2012. The North Sunflower Academy is in an

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...

of Sunflower County, about south of Drew. The school originated as a segregation academy, Mississippi Delta Community College has the Drew Center in Drew. The Sunflower County Library operates the Drew Public Library.

History of education

Previously it was served by the predominantly African-American Drew School District.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. Prior to closure, the district's schools were Drew Hunter High School and A.W. James Elementary School. 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. The Drew district was merged into Sunflower County schools in 2012. That year Drew High School's high school division was closed. High school students began attending Ruleville Central High School. Prior to Federal Government Forced Integration, beginning with the 1970–1971 school year, the Drew school district had four school buildings: the predominantly and historically white Drew High School and A.W. James Elementary, and the newer African-American Hunter High School and the Lil’ Red Rosenwald School, which now houses a community center. The

children were the first and only African-Americans to attend otherwise all-white schools in the county.Ravo, Nick.
Mae Bertha Carter, 76, Mother Who Defied Segregation Law
" ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. May 6, 1999. Retrieved on March 30, 2012. Joetha Collier, often misspelled by the media in the past as Jo Etha Collier, was one of many African-Americans to attend Drew High School starting in the fall of 1970, and was shot to death in 1971 at age 18. As of July 1, 2012, the Drew School District was consolidated with the Sunflower County School District. Drew Hunter closed as of that date, with high school students rezoned to Ruleville Central High School.

Transportation

Ruleville-Drew Airport Ruleville-Drew Airport is a public use airport in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States. Jointly operated by the cities of Drew and Ruleville,

is in unincorporated Sunflower County, between Drew and Ruleville. - Retrieved on September 23, 2010. The airport is jointly operated by the cities of Drew and Ruleville.Poplarville, Hattiesburg among airports receiving grants
."

WDAM WDAM-TV (channel 7) is a television station licensed to Laurel, Mississippi, United States, serving the Hattiesburg area as an affiliate of NBC and ABC. Owned by Gray Television, the station maintains studios and transmitter facilities on US 11 ...

. March 12, 2010. Retrieved on September 23, 2010.

Notable people

, Civil Rights activist. *

Boo Boo Davis James "Boo Boo" Davis (born November 4, 1943) is an American electric blues musician. Davis is one of the few remaining blues musicians who gained experience singing the blues in the Mississippi Delta, having sung to help pass the time while pi ...

, blues singer, released an album entitled ''Drew, Mississippi''. * Al Dixon, football player. * Harold Dorman, rock and roll singer and songwriter. * William Eggleston, internationally famous groundbreaking photographer, grew up in Drew. *

Willie Louis Willie Louis (born Willie Reed; June 14, 1937 – July 18, 2013) was a witness to the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till. Till was an African-American child from Chicago who was murdered in 1955 after he had reportedly whistled at a white woman in ...

, born Willie Reed, witness to the murder of

. * Archie Manning, former NFL quarterback. * Billy Stacy, football player. * Pops Staples and Cleotha Staples, members of The Staple Singers.

References

* Tommy Johnson Blues Musician (1920s - 1930s) msbluestrail.org

Notes

External links

Drew Chamber of Commerce
(Archive)
Drew Hunter Middle School

A. W. James Elementary School
{{authority control Cities in Mississippi Cities in Sunflower County, Mississippi