Tuskegee 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. Located in Macon County, Alabama, Tuskegee has been the site of major African-American achievements for more than 100 years. It is where, in 1881, Lewis Adams founded the Tuskegee Normal School for Colored Teachers, which later became Tuskegee Institute and then Tuskegee University, with the mission of educating a newly freed people for self-sufficiency, and was the birthplace of Rosa Louise Parks in 1913. Today it remains a center for African-American education and became a part of the National Parks System 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 crops. Tuskegee and Tuskegee Institute were also home to the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the first squadron of African-American pilots in the U.S. Military. The city is the county seat of Macon County, and is known as the home of Tuskegee University "The Pride of the Swift Growing South".

History of the name

The name Tuskegee means "Warrior" in the Muskhogean dialect of the Creek language. It was 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 break any ties in votes of the City Council. As such, the position of mayor in Tuskegee is primarily symbolic. The current mayor of Tuskegee is Johnny L. Ford.

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 (32.431506, -85.706781).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.7 square miles (40.7 km²). 15.5 square miles (40.1 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 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 that they were incorporated to now. It also serves as the Tuskegee Visitors Center so 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
• Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site (including the Oaks and GWC Museum)
• Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site @ Historic Moton Field
• City of Tuskegee Historic District
• The Tuskegee Human & Civil Rights Multi-Cultural Center
• Butler Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church
• Tuskegee Veterans Administration Medical Center
• Tuskegee National Forest
• The Tuskegee Repertoire Theatre/Jessie Clinton Art Center
• Tuskegee City Lake
• Kirks Old Farm Museum
• Victoryland Greyhound Park

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/sq mi (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. Also, the local high school is about 99% Black.

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 in continual existence since 1865.

See also

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

Notable residents

• Rich Boy, rapper
• 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
• 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
• Eric Motley, former US State Department official and director of the Aspen Institute
• Evander McIvor Law, American Civil War general

References

George Washington Carver

External links

• Official Website of Tuskegee. Alabama