Indianola, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
Indianola is a city in Sunflower County
, Mississippi
, United States
. The population was 12,066 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Sunflower County
.
announced its unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education
, local plantation manager Robert B. Patterson met with a group of like-minded individuals in a private home in Indianola to form the White Citizens' Council
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 8.7 square miles (22.5 km²), of which, 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.03%) is water. including Indian Bayou, which runs the length of the city and beyond.
The topography of Indianola is flat. The only significant elevation changes are along waterways such as Indian Bayou and one Indian mound located on Main Street east of Hwy 49.
of 2000, there were 12,066 people, 3,899 households, and 2,982 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,400.3 people per square mile (540.5/km²). There were 4,118 housing units at an average density of 477.9 per square mile (184.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 25.73% White, 73.38% African American, 0.01% Native American, 0.46% Asian American, 0.16% from other races
, and 0.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.
There were 3,899 households out of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples
living together, 31.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.5.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,308, and the median income for a family was $31,186. Males had a median income of $27,310 versus $17,622 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,082. About 22.5% of families and 27.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.8% of those under age 18 and 21.5% of those age 65 or over.
. Henry Sloan
lived in Indianola, and Charley Patton died near the city.
B.B. King grew up in Indianola as a child and comes to the blues festival named for him every year. King referenced the city with the title of his 1970 album Indianola Mississippi Seeds
. The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, a $14 million facility dedicated to King and the blues, opened in September 2008. Many street names are named after King and his music, including B.B. King Road, Lucille St. (named after his guitar), and Delta Blues St.
, headquartered in Indianola, operates public schools serving Indianola. Residents are zoned to Lockard Elementary School (K-2), Carver Elementary School (3-6), Robert L. Merritt Junior High School (7-9), and Gentry High School (10-12). The district operates two other 10-12 schools, Indianola Career and Technical Center and Indianola Academic Achievement Academy.
Indianola Academy
, a private school and former segregation academy, is in Indianola.
The Sunflower County School District
has its headquarters in the Sunflower County Courthouse in Indianola. The district's educational services building is along U.S. Route 49
West in Indianola.
As of 1996 9 of 10 students in the Indianola School District are African-American. Most of the White students who attend Indianola public schools transfer to private schools by junior high school.
The United States Postal Service
operates the Indianola Post Office.
is located in unincorporated
Sunflower County
, near Indianola. is operated by the city.
The local radio station, WNLA-AM was at one time owned and operated by Edward O. Fritts, who would later serve for many years as the President of the National Association of Broadcasters
.
Sunflower County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,369 people, 9,637 households, and 7,314 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 10,338 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 12,066 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Sunflower County
Sunflower County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,369 people, 9,637 households, and 7,314 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 10,338 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
.
History
In July of 1954, two months after the Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
announced its unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
, local plantation manager Robert B. Patterson met with a group of like-minded individuals in a private home in Indianola to form the White Citizens' Council
White Citizens' Council
The White Citizens' Council was an American white supremacist organization formed on July 11, 1954. After 1956, it was known as the Citizens' Councils of America...
.
Geography
Indianola is located at 33°26′53"N 90°38′51"W (33.447999, -90.647414) at the junction of MS Highways 82 and 49W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 8.7 square miles (22.5 km²), of which, 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.03%) is water. including Indian Bayou, which runs the length of the city and beyond.
The topography of Indianola is flat. The only significant elevation changes are along waterways such as Indian Bayou and one Indian mound located on Main Street east of Hwy 49.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 12,066 people, 3,899 households, and 2,982 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,400.3 people per square mile (540.5/km²). There were 4,118 housing units at an average density of 477.9 per square mile (184.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 25.73% White, 73.38% African American, 0.01% Native American, 0.46% Asian American, 0.16% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.
There were 3,899 households out of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 31.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.5.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,308, and the median income for a family was $31,186. Males had a median income of $27,310 versus $17,622 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $12,082. About 22.5% of families and 27.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.8% of those under age 18 and 21.5% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
In August 2011 Delta Pride, a catfish processing company, closed its plant in Indianola.The Blues
It is the birthplace of famous blues musician Albert KingAlbert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...
. Henry Sloan
Henry Sloan
Henry Sloan was an African American musician, one of the earliest figures in the history of Delta Blues. Very little is known for certain about his life, other than he tutored Charlie Patton in the ways of the blues. There have been suggestions that he moved to Chicago shortly after World War I...
lived in Indianola, and Charley Patton died near the city.
B.B. King grew up in Indianola as a child and comes to the blues festival named for him every year. King referenced the city with the title of his 1970 album Indianola Mississippi Seeds
Indianola Mississippi Seeds
Indianola Mississippi Seeds is a 1970 album in which B. B. King mixed elements of blues and pop/rock. Producer Bill Szymczyk decided to follow up on the success of the hit "The Thrill Is Gone" by matching King with a musical all-star cast...
. The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, a $14 million facility dedicated to King and the blues, opened in September 2008. Many street names are named after King and his music, including B.B. King Road, Lucille St. (named after his guitar), and Delta Blues St.
Education
The Indianola School DistrictIndianola School District
The Indianola School District is a public school district based in Indianola, Mississippi .-History:Isabel Lee was the school district's first African-American board member.After the U.S. v...
, headquartered in Indianola, operates public schools serving Indianola. Residents are zoned to Lockard Elementary School (K-2), Carver Elementary School (3-6), Robert L. Merritt Junior High School (7-9), and Gentry High School (10-12). The district operates two other 10-12 schools, Indianola Career and Technical Center and Indianola Academic Achievement Academy.
Indianola Academy
Indianola Academy
The Indianola Academy is a K-12 private school in Indianola, Mississippi. Indianola Academy offers an elementary school, a middle school, and a college preparatory education to Indianola and the surrounding areas. It originated as a segregation academy....
, a private school and former segregation academy, is in Indianola.
The Sunflower County School District
Sunflower County School District
The Sunflower County School District is a public school district with its headquarters in the Sunflower County Courthouse in Indianola, Mississippi, and the educational services building along U.S. Route 49 West in Indianola...
has its headquarters in the Sunflower County Courthouse in Indianola. The district's educational services building is along U.S. Route 49
U.S. Route 49
U.S. Route 49 is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Piggott, Arkansas, at an intersection with U.S. Route 62. Its southern terminus is in Gulfport, Mississippi, at an intersection with U.S. Route 90. US 49 is approximately 516 miles in length.It...
West in Indianola.
As of 1996 9 of 10 students in the Indianola School District are African-American. Most of the White students who attend Indianola public schools transfer to private schools by junior high school.
Government and infrastructure
The Mississippi Department of Corrections operates a probation and parole office in the Courthouse Annex in Indianola.The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Indianola Post Office.
Transportation
Indianola Municipal AirportIndianola Municipal Airport
Indianola Municipal Airport is an airport in unincorporated Sunflower County, near Indianola. The airport is operated by the City of Indianola....
is located in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Sunflower County
Sunflower County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,369 people, 9,637 households, and 7,314 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 10,338 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, near Indianola. is operated by the city.
Notable residents
- Mary AliceMary AliceMary Alice is an American actress.Alice was born Mary Alice Smith in Indianola, Mississippi, the daughter of Ozelar and Sam Smith. In 1987 she received a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work in Fences...
, actress. - B.B. King, blues musician.
- Michael Spurlock, Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
wide receiver. - Ellis WymsEllis WymsEllis Rashad Wyms is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
- Steve Yarbrough, writer.
The local radio station, WNLA-AM was at one time owned and operated by Edward O. Fritts, who would later serve for many years as the President of the National Association of Broadcasters
National Association of Broadcasters
The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association, workers union, and lobby group representing the interests of for-profit, over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States...
.
In the media
- Indianola serves as the basis for the fictional "Loring, Mississippi" in works by Steve Yarbrough, including The End of California.
- Parts of the film The ChamberThe Chamber (film)The Chamber is a 1996 drama/thriller film based on John Grisham's novel of the same name. The film was directed by James Foley and stars Gene Hackman and Chris O'Donnell.-Plot:...
, starring Gene Hackman, were filmed in downtown Indianola. The film was adapted from the John GrishamJohn GrishamJohn Ray Grisham, Jr. is an American lawyer and author, best known for his popular legal thrillers.John Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981 and practiced criminal law for about a decade...
novel of the same name.
- From 1932 until 1934, Hortense PowdermakerHortense PowdermakerHortense Powdermaker was an anthropologist best known for her ethnographic studies of African Americans in rural America and of Hollywood. Born to a Jewish family, Powdermaker spent her childhood in Reading, Pennsylvania and in Baltimore, Maryland. She studied history and the humanities at...
conducted an anthropological study of the African-American community in Indianola, which served as the basis for her book, After Freedom: A Cultural Study In the Deep SouthDeep SouthThe Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
and mentioned in her book "Stranger and Friend. The Way of an Anthropologist".
- John Dollard spent five months in Indianola conducting research for his 1937 book, CasteCasteCaste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
and ClassSocial classSocial classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
in a Southern Town, which examined how those factors affected race relations in the rural South.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb289/is_200406/ai_n5811919 While Indianola was not named in the book, the eponymous "Southern Town" was based on the data he collected there.