The Challenges and Triumphs of Foot Soldier Jeff Drew
Jeff Drew was one of the first black students to attend what was then Ensley High School in Birmingham. It was all white, and for students like Drew, it wasn’t easy. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a close friend of Drew’s father. King often used the Drew home to meet and sometimes spend the night during the civil rights campaign. Growing up in that family environment helped shape Drew.
The 66-year-old businessman recently spoke with WBHM’s Sherrel Wheeler Stewart about the triumphs and the struggles of those days.
Growing up on Dynamite Hill:
“Terrorism’s nothing new to me. Dynamite Hill is all rock. So when the bombs were thrown at Uncle Arthur’s House, [civil rights attorney] Arthur Shores, we could feel the concussion up here easily. So much so that it bounced me and the television set right up off the floor.”
Marching in the Movement:
“You gotta remember we wanted to march. We wanted to go to jail. It was a badge of courage to say, ‘I’ve been to jail, or I marched.’”
Encouragement for Activism from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:
“‘Nephew,’ he says. ‘Go round up some of your buddies. We’ve got to integrate these high schools, otherwise these white folks are going to think we don’t want integration.’ Back in those days, we would have jumped off the Empire State Building if he said jump.”
Challenges of Integrating Schools:
“We were spat upon. We had bubble gum in our afros. We got cut from the football teams. We were not allowed any intramural activities whatsoever. They told us they didn’t even have a junior/senior school prom, which was a lie.”
Today, Drew runs an insurance company downtown. He says he wants the youth to know the sacrifices others made before them to pave the way.
Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones announces run for Alabama governor
Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after filing campaign paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office. His gubernatorial bid could set up a rematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who defeated Jones in 2020 and is now running for governor.
Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums
Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor to join our award-winning team covering important regional stories across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.
Construction on Meta’s largest data center brings 600% crash spike, chaos to rural Louisiana
An investigation from the Gulf States Newsroom found that trucks contracted to work at the Meta facility are causing delays and dangerous roads in Holly Ridge.
Bessemer City Council approves rezoning for a massive data center, dividing a community
After the Bessemer City Council voted 5-2 to rezone nearly 700 acres of agricultural land for the “hyperscale” server farm, a dissenting council member said city officials who signed non-disclosure agreements weren’t being transparent with citizens.
