Tuskegee, Alabama

"Tuskegee" redirects here. For other uses, see Tuskegee (disambiguation).

Tuskegee
—  City  —
The Macon County Courthouse in Tuskegee was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 17, 1978.
Nickname(s): Thou Pride of the Swift Growing South
Location in Macon County and the state of Alabama
Coordinates: 32°25′53″N 85°42′24″W
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Macon
Government
• Mayor	Omar Neal (D)
Area
• Total	15.7 sq mi (40.7 km2)
• Land	15.5 sq mi (40.1 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2)
Elevation	463 ft (141 m)
Population (2005)
• Total	11,590
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	36083, 36087, 36088
Area code(s)	334
FIPS code	01-77304
GNIS feature ID	0128211
Website	http://www.tuskegeealabama.org/

Tuskegee ( /ˈtʌskɪɡiː/) is a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 11,846 and is designated a Micropolitan Statistical Area. Tuskegee has been an important site in various stages of African American history.

It is where, in 1881, Booker T. Washington founded the Tuskegee Normal School for Colored Teachers on a former plantation. It was later named the Tuskegee Institute and then Tuskegee University, with the mission of educating freedmen for self-sufficiency. It was the site of the now-infamous Tuskegee syphilis experiment, a clinical study conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service through the Institute from 1932-1972. The experiment enrolled black poor population with syphilis and observed the physical reactions without giving proper healthcare. When the infected black male went to get health help, they thought they were receiving free health care from the U.S. government but they only received simple pain relief pills. The university is a center of excellence for African-American education. The heart of the university has been designated a National Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. One of the most famous teachers at Tuskegee was George Washington Carver, whose name is synonymous with innovative research into Southern farming method and products developed from a variety of crops. Tuskegee and Tuskegee Institute were also home to the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the first squadron of African-American pilots trained in the U.S. Military. The town was the birthplace of Rosa Louise Parks in 1913; she became a civil rights activist in the 1960s. The city is the county seat of Macon County.

History of the name

Tuskegee was the name of a tribal town of the Creek Indians. It was also the name of at least two Indian tribes, one living in central Alabama and the other in Tennessee.

Law and government

Tuskegee has a council-manager government led by an four-member city council, a mayor, and an appointed city manager.

The city council acts as a legislative body of the city, passing laws and regulations and appointing citizens to the city's various boards. Each member of the city council is elected for a four-year term from one of three geographic districts. Tuskegee has one city council member that is elected at-large and serves as mayor-pro tem.

Members of the current Tuskegee City Council are:

• District 1 - The Honorable Lutalo K. Aryee
• District 2- The Honorable Willie Louise Fields
• District 3 - The Honorable Georgette White Moon
• Council member At-Large - The Honorable Mae Doris Williams

The mayor of Tuskegee is elected in the city at-large to a four year term. The duties of the mayor are to promote the city, communicate with residents, and preside over City Council meetings. As such, the position of mayor in Tuskegee is primarily ceremonial. The current mayor of Tuskegee is Omar Neal.

The day-to-day operations of Tuskegee are run by the city manager. The City Manager is appointed by and serves at the leisure of the City Council. The City Manager is responsible for the appointment and dismissal of all department heads, advises the council on policy matters, and creates and administers the city budget. The current City Manager of Tuskegee is Alfred Davis.

Geography

Tuskegee is located at 32°25′53″N 85°42′24″W (32.431506, -85.706781).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.7 square miles (41 km²). 15.5 square miles (40 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) of it (1.53%) is water.

Attractions

Tuskegee has many places in which to find information. Downtown Tuskegee tells the history of Tuskegee/Macon County from the time of incorporation to the present. It also serves as the Tuskegee Visitor Center. For more information about visiting Tuskegee, stop by the Tuskegee Human & Civil Rights Multicultural Center.

Some Tuskegee Area attractions:

• Tuskegee University/Tuskegee Institute Historic District [1]
• Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site (including the Oaks and GWC Museum) [2]
• Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site @ Historic Moton Field [3]
• City of Tuskegee Historic District
• The Tuskegee Human & Civil Rights Multicultural Center
• Butler Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church [4]
• Tuskegee Veterans Administration Medical Center [5]
• Tuskegee National Forest [6]
• The Tuskegee Repertory Theatre/Jessie Clinton Arts Center [7]
• Tuskegee City Lake
• Kirks Old Farm Museum
• Victoryland Greyhound Park[8]

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,846 people, 4,169 households, and 2,326 families residing in the city. The population density was 765.7 people per square mile (295.7/km²). There were 5,101 housing units at an average density of 329.7 per square mile (127.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.48% Black or African American, 2.59% White, 0.19% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. 0.68% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,169 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 22.6% were married couples living together, 29.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.2% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 25.4% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $18,889, and the median income for a family was $26,862. Males had a median income of $23,333 versus $22,951 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,340. About 30.0% of families and 35.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.1% of those under age 18 and 26.3% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Tuskegee has one weekly newspaper, The Tuskegee News, which has been operated since 1865.

Notable residents

• Rosa Parks, born in Tuskegee, African American civil rights activist.
• Andre Thornton, born in Tuskegee, major league baseball player
• Lionel Richie, born & raised in Tuskegee, then graduated from Tuskegee University, R&B singer, songwriter, composer, producer and occasional actor.
• The Tuskegee Airmen
• Keith, Kris, and Wendell Ellis, three brothers that all became successful doctors
• Lt Gen Russell C. Davis former Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard.
• Rimp Lanier, former Major League Baseball player.
• Tom Joyner, nationally syndicated Radio DJ
• Nella Larsen, author of the Harlem Renaissance
• Eric Motley, former US State Department official and director of the Aspen Institute
• Evander McIvor Law, American Civil War general
• Alice Coachman, first African American female Olympic gold medalist High Jump.
• Rory White, NBA player for the Phoenix Suns, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, and the Milwaukee Bucks.
• George Washington Carver, a famous botanist

See also

• Nella Larsen
• Rosa Parks
• Lionel Richie
• George Washington Carver
• United States civil rights movement
• Tuskegee Airmen
• Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
• Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male

Gallery

• 

  Tuskegee Municipal Complex

• 

  Tuskegee Post Office (ZIP code:36083)

• 

  Macon County-Tuskegee Public Library

• 

  Tuskegee Human & Civil Rights Multicultural Center

• 

  Tuskegee Fire Department

• 

  A view of the Macon County Courthouse from the park in the town square. The Main Street Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 12, 1984.

• 

  The statue of a Confederate soldier stands in the town square park. The pedestal reads: "Erected by The Daughters of the Confederacy to the Confederate Soldiers of Macon County".

• 

  The North Main Street Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 7, 1985.

• 

  Built in 1857, Grey Columns now serves as the home of the president of Tuskegee University. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 11, 1980.

• 

  The Butler Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 1995.

• 

  The Hangar One Museum at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Moton Field.

• 

  Lake Tuskegee is a city-owned recreational area with playgrounds, picnic areas, and some 92 acres of water providing fishing, sailing, and water skiing opportunities.

External links

• Official Website of Tuskegee. Alabama