Robert Jackson, CEO

201 Humphrey Street
P.O. Box 386
Marks, MS 38646

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In early 1977, civil rights activists Rev. Ezra Towner Sr., Clara Rucker, and William Redd met to discuss the poverty and racism afflicting rural Quitman County residents. They decided to start Quitman County Development Organization, Inc. (QCDO), resolving to fight firmly entrenched racist practices and develop opportunities for African-Americans.

Today, the organization continues to employ self-help programs and strategies to meet low-income residents' personal, physical, educational, and economic needs. Since its inception nearly 30 years ago, QCDO has expanded the terrain it serves to include low-income communities in Tallahatchie and Panola counties.

Through programs in affordable housing, job creation, day care, education, and micro-enterprise, as well as its credit union, QCDO has increased skills, property ownership, economic resources, and access to jobs. QCDO, the largest African-American-owned employer in Quitman County, continues to dedicate itself to helping improve the lives of the poor throughout the North Mississippi Delta.