It is noted for being the site of several racist murders, including the lynching of Joe Pullen in 1923 and of Emmett Till in 1955.

[5] One historian wrote that the white residents of Drew had "traditionally been regarded as the most recalcitrant in the county on racial matters.

"[6] The author wrote that whites in Drew were "considered the most recalcitrant of Sunflower County, and perhaps the state.

"[7] He also claimed that Drew's proximity to the Mississippi State Penitentiary made Drew "a dangerous place to be black", and claimed that during the 1930s and 1940s many police officers arbitrarily shot blacks, saying that they appeared to look like escaped prisoners.

[7] That historian also claimed that during the Civil Rights Movement, when attempts were made to move Fannie Lou Hamer's movement for poor people from Ruleville to Drew, the organizers "faced stiff resistance".

[6] In 1955, 14-year-old African-American teenager Emmett Louis Till was abducted, tortured, and shot to death in a barn near Drew.

[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), all land.

Because of its small size, Billy Turner of The Times-Picayune said "[y]ou can travel all over town in a few minutes.

[12] Drew is 8 miles (13 km) south of the Mississippi State Penitentiary,[13] and it is north of Ruleville.

[9] As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,852 people, 729 households, and 503 families residing in the city.

The racial makeup of the city was 82.7% Black, 16.0% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian and 0.2% from two or more races.

[17][18] The City of Drew is currently served by the Sunflower County Consolidated School District.