Itta Bena is a city in Leflore County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,208 at the 2000 census.
The town's name is derived from the Choctaw phrase for "camp together" or "home in the woods." [1]
Itta Bena is part of the Greenwood, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Itta Bena is located at 33°29′45″N 90°19′20″W / 33.49583°N 90.32222°W / 33.49583; -90.32222 (33.495968, -90.322321)[2].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.8 km²), of which, 1.4 square miles (3.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (2.72%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 4,000 people, 763 households, and 559 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,541.5 people per square mile (596.2/km²). There were 797 housing units at an average density of 556.4/sq mi (215.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.34% African American, 18.16% White, 0.23% Asian, and 0.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population.
There were 763 households out of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.6% were married couples living together, 35.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.43.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.3% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $20,968, and the median income for a family was $24,271. Males had a median income of $21,917 versus $16,136 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,132. About 29.5% of families and 34.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.1% of those under age 18 and 33.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Itta Bena is served by the Leflore County School District.
It is also the home to Mississippi Valley State University.
Notable Residents and Events
Itta Bena is the birthplace of blues musician B. B. King and civil rights activists James Bevel and Marion Barry--the former mayor of Washington, D.C.
It was on a march between Itta Bena and nearby Greenwood where Stokely Carmichael coined the rallying phrase "Black power!"
In Popular Culture
- The town is immortalized in the song "Tall Boy" by Widespread Panic
- The name of the city is used in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou as the place where "Baby Face" George Nelson robs a bank with the main characters Ulysses Everett McGill, Pete and Delmar O'Donnell.
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
