A Mississippi county named for a Choctaw word meaning to stink faces complex history.
In short: Noxubee County, Mississippi, is a rural landscape defined by its 100% rural population and a name derived from the Choctaw language. Beyond its geography, the county has become a focal point for intense political shifts, civil rights milestones, and significant institutional controversies that continue to shape its modern identity.
Noxubee County covers 700 square miles in Mississippi, with its seat located in Macon. The area is entirely rural, and its demographic profile has shifted over the last two decades. By the 2020 census, the population stood at 10,285, with a median age of 39.8 years. The racial makeup is predominantly Black or African American, comprising 70.3% of residents, while White residents account for 25.9%. These figures represent a notable change from 2000, when the population was 12,548.
The county's political trajectory is deeply tied to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Before this legislation, elections were restricted to white voters. In the 1964 presidential election, the county gave 96.6% of its vote to Barry Goldwater, a margin that remains historically significant. Following the act, the county became a Democratic stronghold. However, the political landscape has remained contentious; in 2005, the Department of Justice investigated claims that the local Democratic Party chairman, Ike Brown, had actively discriminated against white voters, marking a rare application of the Voting Rights Act to protect white participation.
Institutional integrity has also faced severe scrutiny. Investigations by major news organizations and investigative reporting outlets in 2023 exposed systemic failures at the local jail, where mismanagement allowed for the abuse and rape of female inmates by male prisoners. These findings led to criminal charges against former sheriff Terry Grassaree. Such events highlight the ongoing challenges within the county's public infrastructure, which also manages a school district that has grappled with its own history of segregation and the 2017 closure of a former segregation academy.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Noxubee County, Mississippi
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