Newbern, Alabama

Newbern, Alabama
Town
Location within Hale County and Alabama
Coordinates: 32°35′41″N87°32′8″W / 32.59472°N 87.53556°W / 32.59472; -87.53556 [1]
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Hale
Incorporated	1854
Named for	New Bern, North Carolina
Government
•  Mayor	Howard Stokes III (disputed) Patrick Braxton (disputed)
Area [2]
• Total	1.16 sq mi (3.02 km2)
• Land	1.16 sq mi (3.01 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation [1]	187 ft (57 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	133
• Density	114.46/sq mi (44.18/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	36765
Area code	334
FIPS code	01-53784
GNIS ID	152687 [1]

Newbern is a town in Hale County, Alabama, United States. ^[1] As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 133. ^[3]

History

The community was named for New Bern, North Carolina. It incorporated in 1854. ^[4]

The Rural Studio of Auburn University is based in Newbern; its architecture student practitioners work under the supervision of faculty on designing and building affordable housing and similar projects to support the population of rural areas in Alabama.

Mayoral dispute

In November 2020, a controversy arose as the only candidate to file for the mayoral election, Patrick Braxton, was obstructed from assuming office by the previous officeholder (Woody Stokes III) and the town council. ^[5] It is alleged that a proper election has not been held in Newbern in decades, with the mayoralty being passed from "one friend to another". As of June 2023, Stokes remains the acting mayor, with Braxton unable to carry out any duties. In response, Braxton filed a federal civil rights suit, arguing that the actions of the town council constitute racial disenfranchisement. This is further compounded by the fact that despite being a majority black town, executive offices in Newbern have historically been exclusively held by white people. ^{[6] [7]} In March 2024, the Legal Defense Fund filed a preliminary injunction to force Newbern to hold elections and allow its citizens to vote. ^{[8] [9]}

Geography

Newbern is located at 32°35′41″N87°32′8″W / 32.59472°N 87.53556°W / 32.59472; -87.53556 (32.594818, -87.535431). ^[10]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all land.

The town is located in the geographic region known as the Black Belt, related to the fertile soil which attracted developers of cotton plantations in the antebellum years, and also to the population of enslaved African Americans who worked at those sites. Many areas of the rural Black Belt are still majority African American in population.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	454		—
1900	564		—
1910	515		−8.7%
1920	438		−15.0%
1930	389		−11.2%
1940	388		−0.3%
1950	367		−5.4%
1960	316		−13.9%
1970	286		−9.5%
1980	307		7.3%
1990	222		−27.7%
2000	231		4.1%
2010	186		−19.5%
2020	133		−28.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [11] 2010 [12] 2020 [13]

2020 census

Newbern town, Alabama – Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010 [12]	Pop 2020 [13]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	59	42	31.72%	31.58%
Black or African American alone (NH)	123	85	66.13%	63.91%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Asian alone (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	0	3	0.00%	2.26%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	4	3	2.15%	2.26%
Total	186	133	100.00%	100.00%

Newbern is part of the Tuscaloosa, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area.

2000 census

As of the census ^[14] of 2000, there were 231 people, 91 households, and 59 families residing in the town. The population density was 198.5 inhabitants per square mile (76.6/km²). There were 110 housing units at an average density of 94.5 per square mile (36.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 22.94% White and 77.06% Black or African American.

There were 91 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% were married couples living together, 25.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.0% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $20,682, and the median income for a family was $31,042. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $11,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,476. About 17.5% of families and 31.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.0% of those under the age of eighteen and 33.3% of those 65 or over.

Education

All residents in the county are in the Hale County School District. ^[15]

Notable people

• Frank Allen, former Major League Baseball player
• Anthony Bryant, former NFL player
• Herb Jones, NBA player
• Henry Watson, Jr., owned a cotton plantation in Newbern ^[16]

Gallery

The below photographs were taken in Newbern as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey in the 1930s:

• 
  Presbyterian Church
• 
  Baptist Church
• 
  Walthall House

References

1. "Newbern, Alabama", Geographic Names Information System , United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
3. "Profile of Newbern, Alabama in 2020". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
4. "For Demopolis Alabama real estate, Sumter County Alabama real estate, and Hale County Alabama properties, go to the expert: Bill Mackey Real Estate". billmackey.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
5. Walker, Adria. "He became the first Black mayor of a rural Alabama town. Then a white minority locked him out". The Guardian. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
6. "Black man who says he was elected mayor of Alabama town alleges that White leaders are keeping him from position". CBS News. July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
7. "He became the first Black mayor of Newbern, Alabama. A white minority locked him out of town hall". Tread. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
8. Walker, Adria R. (March 29, 2024). "Alabama town that hasn't held elections in decades sued to allow voting". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
9. "LDF Seeks Preliminary Injunction in Lawsuit Challenging Racial Discrimination in Newbern, Alabama's Electoral Practices". Legal Defense Fund. March 28, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
10. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
11. "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
12. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Newbern town, Alabama". United States Census Bureau .
13. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Newbern town, Alabama". United States Census Bureau .
14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
15. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Hale County, AL" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved March 29, 2024. - Text list
16. G. Ward Hubbs, Guarding Greensboro: A Confederate Company in the Making of a Southern Community, Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 2003, pp. 68–69

External links

• Rural Studio
• "He became the first Black mayor of Newbern, Alabama. A white minority locked him out of town hall. Now, Mayor Patrick Braxton has filed a federal lawsuit he hopes will make things right." by Lee Hedgepeth in "Tread", June 5, 2023