Phillips County, Arkansas

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Phillips County is a county located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas, in what is known as the Arkansas Delta along the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,568.[1] The county seat is Helena–West Helena.[2] Phillips County is Arkansas's seventh (7th) county, formed on May 1, 1820. It was named for Sylvanus Phillips, the area's first-known white or European-American settler; he was elected as representative to the first Territorial Legislature of the Arkansas Territory. This fertile lowland area was developed for cotton plantations in the antebellum area and is still largely rural and agricultural.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". The Helena-West Helena, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Phillips County.

History

From September 30 – October 1, 1919, during the Elaine race riot in Phillips County, at least 237 African Americans were killed, attacked at large by armed whites trying to suppress the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America which was organizing in the county. Because the white mob actions were racial terrorism against African Americans, the deaths were classified as lynchings by the Equal Justice Initiative in its 2015 report on lynchings in the South. Based on this, Phillips County ranks as the county with the highest number of lynchings in U.S. history.[3]

Crime

For the years from 2016 to 2020, Phillips County had the highest rate of gun homicides of any county in the United States. Adjusting county data for the age of the population, Phillips County had a rate of 55.45 gun deaths per 100,000 population.[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Script error: No such module "convert"., of which Script error: No such module "convert". is land and Script error: No such module "convert". (4.4%) is water.[5]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Template:Sronly%±
18301,152—
18403,547Script error: No such module "String".%
18506,935Script error: No such module "String".%
186014,877Script error: No such module "String".%
187015,372Script error: No such module "String".%
188021,262Script error: No such module "String".%
189025,341Script error: No such module "String".%
190026,561Script error: No such module "String".%
191033,535Script error: No such module "String".%
192044,530Script error: No such module "String".%
193040,683Script error: No such module "String".%
194045,970Script error: No such module "String".%
195046,254Script error: No such module "String".%
196043,997Script error: No such module "String".%
197040,046Script error: No such module "String".%
198034,772Script error: No such module "String".%
199028,838Script error: No such module "String".%
200026,445Script error: No such module "String".%
201021,757Script error: No such module "String".%
202016,568Script error: No such module "String".%
2024 (est.)14,661[6]Script error: No such module "String".%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9]
1990–2000[10] 2010–2021[1]

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2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 16,568. The median age was 41.3 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 82.6 males age 18 and over.[11][12]

The racial makeup of the county was 33.9% White, 62.4% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.6% of the population.[12]

51.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 48.1% lived in rural areas.[13]

There were 6,890 households in the county, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 30.1% were married-couple households, 21.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 42.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]

There were 8,315 housing units, of which 17.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 54.4% were owner-occupied and 45.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.8%.[11]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 21,757 people living in the county. 63.1% were Black or African American, 35.0% White, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% of some other race and 0.9% of two or more races. 1.3% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census

As of the 2000 census,[14] there were 26,445 people, 9,711 households, and 6,768 families living in the county. The population density was Script error: No such module "convert".. There were 10,859 housing units at an average density of Script error: No such module "convert".. The racial makeup of the county was 59.04% Black or African American, 39.25% White, 0.43% from other races, 0.32% Asian, 0.17% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, and 0.78% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. At over 58% of the county's population, Phillips County has the highest percentage of African Americans in the state of Arkansas.[15]

There were 9,711 households, out of which 34.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.30% were married couples living together, 25.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 32.20% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 23.20% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 84.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,231, and the median income for a family was $26,570. Males had a median income of $24,675 versus $17,520 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,288. About 28.70% of families and 32.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.50% of those under age 18 and 26.20% of those age 65 or over.

For the period 2000–2009, the Helena-West Helena statistical area lost 20.89% of its population, the largest decline of any statistical area in the country.

Government and politics

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Phillips County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief executive officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.[16][17]

Phillips County, Arkansas Elected countywide officials[18][19]
Position Officeholder Party
County Judge Clark Hall Democratic
County Clerk Shakira Winfield Democratic
Circuit Clerk Tamekia Franklin Democratic
Sheriff/Collector Neal Byrd, Sr. Democratic
Treasurer Santresa "Tot" Mayfield Democratic
Assessor Jerome Turner Democratic
Coroner Earnest Larry Democratic

The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 8 Democrats and 1 Republican. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:[18][20]

  • District 1: Edward Carter (D)
  • District 2: Patrick Roberson (D)
  • District 3: Oscar Hoskins (D)
  • District 4: Isaac Ike Tribune (D)
  • District 5: Betty Brimley (D)
  • District 6: Shirley Moss-Larry (D)
  • District 7: William Kyle Storer (D)
  • District 8: Martin Rawls (R)
  • District 9: Lita Moore-Johnson (D)

Additionally, the townships of Phillips County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the Constitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult.[21] The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:[22][23]

  • Hornor: Wilburt Strotter (D)
  • Marion: John Jason O'Neal (D)
  • Spring Creek: Lewis Hall (D)
  • Tappan: Edgar Williams III (D)

Politics

As a majority-black county, Phillips County is strongly Democratic. It has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in all but two elections in the last century. Strom Thurmond carried the county in his whites-only Dixiecrat effort in 1948. At that time, Democrats were composed chiefly of conservative whites, as most blacks had been disenfranchised at the turn of the century. Prior to that, they had been affiliated with the Republican Party.

Richard Nixon carried the county in his 1972 landslide. Blacks were not yet voting in full force, following passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as some states and counties continued to have ways to suppress their vote.

In modern times, heavy depopulation and the state's strong rightward shift has shrunk the margins for Democrats, though Black voters remain strongly Democratic and thus keep the county safely blue.

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Education

School districts serving Phillips County include the Helena-West Helena School District, the Marvell–Elaine School District, and the Barton–Lexa School District. [24]

Previously the Lake View School District served a portion of the county. On July 1, 2004, the Lake View district merged into the Barton–Lexa district. Previously the Elaine School District served another portion of the county. On July 1, 2006, the Elaine district merged into the Marvell district.[25][26]

Marvell Academy, a private school founded in 1966[27] as a segregation academy,[28] is in unincorporated Phillips County, near Marvell.[29]

Communities

Cities

Town

Census-designated place

Unincorporated places

Townships

File:Phillips County Arkansas 2010 Township Map small.jpg
Townships in Phillips County, Arkansas as of 2010

Template:Arkansas Townships About [30][31]

Township FIPS code ANSI code
(GNIS ID) 		Population
center(s) 		Pop.
(2010) 		Pop.
density
(/mi2) 		Pop.
density
(/km2) 		Total area
(mi2) 		Total area
(km2) 		Land area
(mi2) 		Land area
(km2) 		Water area
(mi2) 		Water area
(km2) 		Geographic coordinates
Big Creek Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 425 11.05 4.26 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
Cleburne Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 660 29.12 11.24 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
Cleveland Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 198 8.01 3.09 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
Cypress Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 152 9.54 3.68 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
Hickory Ridge Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 Marvell 1,550 49.89 19.26 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
Hicksville Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 231 6.99 2.70 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
Hornor Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 part of Helena-West Helena 9,697 265.48 102.51 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
Lake Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 41 0.91 0.35 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
Marion Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 589 14.42 5.57 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
Mooney Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 179 1.70 0.66 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
St. Francis Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 most of Helena-West Helena 4,746 103.10 39.82 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
Spring Creek Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 Lexa, small part of Lake View 1,789 22.46 8.67 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
Tappan Template:FIPS Template:GNIS4 Elaine, most of Lake View 1,500 8.49 3.28 Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "Coordinates".
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Notable people

See also

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References

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  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". - Text list
  25. ↑ "Consolidation/Annexations of LEA's (1983-2010)Template:Category handler[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">usurped]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".." Arkansas Department of Education. Retrieved on March 2, 2011.
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ "AboutTemplate:Category handler[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">usurped]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".." Marvell Academy. Retrieved on March 2, 2011.
  28. ↑ "Private Schools: The Last Refuge." TIME. Friday November 14, 1969. Retrieved on March 2, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Marvell Academy Principals." Manta. Retrieved on March 2, 2011. "645 Highway 243 Marvell, AR 72366."
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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