Grenada, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grenada, Mississippi
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Downtown Grenada
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Location of Grenada, Mississippi
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 Grenada, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Grenada |
| Area | |
| • Total | 30.03 sq mi (77.78 km2) |
| • Land | 30.01 sq mi (77.72 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
| Elevation | 213 ft (65 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 13,092 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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12,219 |
| • Density | 407.20/sq mi (157.22/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
38901-38902
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| Area code(s) | 662 |
| FIPS code | 28-29460 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0670734 |
Grenada is a city in Grenada County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 13,092 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Grenada County.
History
Grenada was formed in 1836, after removal of the historic Native Americans of the area, via the union of the two adjacent towns (separated by the present-day Line Street) of Pittsburg and Tulahoma, founded respectively by European Americans Franklin Plummer and Hiram Runnels. Development included stores and businesses that supported the county court and market days.
Plantations were first developed in the county along the Yazoo River for transportation. Cotton was the major commodity crop, dependent on the labor of enslaved African Americans.
In 1851 Grenada townspeople founded the Yalobusha Baptist Female Institute for education of their young white women. In 1882 it was taken over by the Methodists and renamed as Grenada College. Classified in the 20th century as a junior college, it encountered financial troubles during the Great Depression. The church closed the college in 1936 and transferred its assets to Millsaps College.
In December 1862, Confederate general Earl Van Dorn, whose troops had been encamped in Grenada, led the three brigades under his command in an attempt to destroy the Union supply depot at Holly Springs, Mississippi.
In the civil rights era, African Americans throughout Mississippi were active in seeking their constitutional rights. Congress passed legislation in 1964 and 1965 that ended segregation of public facilities and protected voting rights, authorizing federal oversight and enforcement. In 1966, James Meredith started a solo March Against Fear to challenge oppression in Mississippi and encourage voter registration by African Americans. His planned route from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi, passed through Grenada.
After Meredith was shot and wounded on the second day, and had to be hospitalized, other prominent activists and many marchers joined the effort, taking up his cause. The marchers, including Martin Luther King and Dick Gregory, spent about a week demonstrating in Grenada before moving on. During that time, the town officials appeared cooperative, protecting the marchers with local police.
They also hired six black voter registrars, who registered one thousand black residents during that week. But, after the march passed through, the county fired the registrars. It was reported later that summer that the 1,000 new black voters were never entered on official rolls. They had to start all over again to gain official voter registration.
During the Civil Rights Movement in 1966 and 1967, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) ran a civil rights organizing project in Grenada which lasted at least 11 months. They worked to register voters and gain concessions for hiring African Americans in local businesses and restaurants, which were still segregated, although racial segregation laws had been legally overturned.
Geography
Grenada is situated on the south bank of the Yalobusha River. Grenada Lake is located a short distance from the city. Grenada Lake is a man made lake that falls under the supervision of the Army Corp of Engineers.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.0 square miles (78 km2), of which 30.0 square miles (78 km2) is land and 0.03% is water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 1,887 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,914 | 1.4% | |
| 1890 | 2,416 | 26.2% | |
| 1900 | 2,568 | 6.3% | |
| 1910 | 2,814 | 9.6% | |
| 1920 | 3,402 | 20.9% | |
| 1930 | 4,349 | 27.8% | |
| 1940 | 5,831 | 34.1% | |
| 1950 | 7,388 | 26.7% | |
| 1960 | 7,914 | 7.1% | |
| 1970 | 9,944 | 25.7% | |
| 1980 | 11,508 | 15.7% | |
| 1990 | 10,864 | −5.6% | |
| 2000 | 14,879 | 37.0% | |
| 2010 | 13,092 | −12.0% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 12,219 | −6.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 4,799 | 37.79% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 7,293 | 57.43% |
| Native American | 8 | 0.06% |
| Asian | 67 | 0.53% |
| Other/Mixed | 344 | 2.71% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 189 | 1.49% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,700 people, 5,100 households, and 2,988 families residing in the city.
Education
Prior to 1966, a segregated system of schools was provided, with African-American children attending one set of schools and white children another. In 1966 the school system instituted a freedom of choice plan, which allowed black students to attend previously all-white schools. Mobs of white people congregated outside the schools to prevent African-American students from entering, and attacked young children when they left school in the afternoon. In 1966 white parents established the Grenada Educational Foundation, now known as Kirk Academy, as an alternative to racially-integrated education. Grenada, as well as Grenada County, is currently served by the Grenada School District.
Notable people
- Phillip Alford, child actor (To Kill a Mockingbird, Shenandoah), resident businessman
- Chris Avery, professional football player, born in Grenada
- Pete Boone, University of Mississippi athletic director, born in Grenada
- E.L. Boteler, Mississippi politician and businessman, born in Grenada
- Ace Cannon, musician
- Walter Davis, blues musician
- Jake Gibbs, baseball player, All American football player
- George Robert Hightower, educator
- Mississippi John Hurt, blues folk musician, died in Grenada
- M. D. Jennings, football player
- Trent Lott, U.S. senator, born in Grenada
- Jim Miles, baseball player
- Ike Pearson, baseball player
- Tyre Phillips, professional football player for the Baltimore Ravens
- Freeman Ransom, lawyer, businessman, and civic activist
- Greg Robinson, pro football player, born in Grenada
- Magic Sam, blues musician, born in Grenada
- Joseph D. Sayers, 22nd Governor of Texas
- Magic Slim, blues musician
- Homer Spragins, baseball player
- Trumaine Sykes, pro football player
- Donna Tartt, author
- Edward C. Walthall, United States senator
- Howard Waugh, Canadian football player and humanitarian
- Luke J. Weathers (December 16, 1920 – October 15, 2011), former U.S. Army Air Force officer and prolific Tuskegee Airmen
- Eddie Willis, member of Funk Brothers, born in Grenada
- William Winter, governor of Mississippi (1980-1984), born and grew up in Grenada
- Charlie Worsham, country singer, musician, and songwriter
- Frank Wright, jazz musician
- Genard Avery, professional football player
See also
In Spanish: Grenada (Misisipi) para niños
