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ABOUT US

     In the summer of 1966, Martin Luther King, Jr. visited Marks, Mississippi to preach at the funeral service of a friend.  As he witnessed the hunger and poverty in Marks––a place of no hope––tears streamed down his cheek, in one of the few public displays of emotion.  He vowed then and there to mount a campaign against poverty in America.  It was to begin in Marks.  In April 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis.  The next month, the Poor People's Campaign, or Mule Train, left for Washington, D. C., starting from the "end of the Earth," Marks, Mississippi.

  The 50th Anniversary of the Mule Train is fast approaching.  Fifty years later, the promised hope of that 1968 journey has not been fulfilled for the people of Marks and Quitman County.  Industry has vanished, and there are few economic opportunities.  The Quitman County schools are currently rated "D", which is an improvement over last year's "F" rating.  There are currently no after-school programs in Quitman County.  The last program was funded by The Bernard van Leer Foundation of the Netherlands and Youth Opportunities Unlimited.  The youth of the community have no ballparks or playgrounds.  The county hospital has closed, and the only grocery store has been shut down.  In many respects, the reality of Marks today is bleaker than it was fifty years ago.

   The Marks Project strives to create a new reality.  Working in partnership with the people of Marks and Quitman County, we are searching out solutions to improve the quality of life by addressing Education, Economic Development, and Recreation.  

 We were established under the 501(c)(3) status of the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi.  Our project partnerships include the National Civil Rights Museum and the McLean Institute of the University of Mississippi, as well as the Education Department, and the Center for Population Studies.  Dr. Charles Ross, Director of the University of Mississippi African American Studies Program, leads the community meetings in Marks. 

 

  Federal Express gave the Marks Project a grant to fund a summer 2017 enrichment program in the Quitman County School District for nearly 350 children.

 

After securing land from the City of Marks, we are now raising funds to build a ballpark and a playground.  As it is now, there is nowhere for the children of Marks or Quitman County to play ball or to play safely after school. 

 

To address the need for employment, we are assessing the workforce and seeking to find industries that fit with those skills.  John Green, PhD at the University of Mississippi Center for Population Studies has created a profile of Quitman County.  The City of Marks has obtained the former Bunge Corporation facilities, and we are working with Mississippi state and local officials on development.

 

ACHIEVEMENTS

Our tutoring programs in the Quitman County school systems and at the University of Mississippi have been great successes.  We will continue to expand them.

 

  Having obtained land for a playground and ballpark, we are now raising funds for building and equipment. 

 

We are also working with the City of Marks to find economic development opportunities.

 COMMUNITY

Each month we hold an open meeting for community leaders and potential resources to solicit community involvement and feedback.  Dr. Charles Ross is the Committee Chairman.  Our Board of Governors are:  Jaby Denton and Mitch Campbell, co-founders; Judy Bland, Liason; and DeJuan Watts  and Pearl Watts, Co-chairs of Community Outreach. Special thanks for additional photography:  The Withers Collection, and Mike Stanton.

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