| Since its establishment in 1871, Alcorn State University (ASU) has played a role in community and economic development in southwest Mississippi. Chartered as the first Black land-grant college in the United States in 1878, ASU was given a public mission that was furthered by the establishment of the Alcorn Cooperative Extension Program in 1971.
The southwest corner of Mississippi is occupied by Wilkinson and Adams Counties, whose populations are at least 50 percent African-American. More than 50 percent of the households in these two counties are headed by single mothers, and approximately 30 percent are comprised of elderly residents. Although 48 percent of residents of Wilkinson County have attained a high school education or higher, 36 percent of families live at or below the poverty level. The unemployment rate averages around 10 percent. Adams County's per capita income is $15,791 with 25 percent of all families living below the poverty level. Its unemployment rate is 7.3 percent. More than half of the housing units in Wilkinson County are owner-occupied, but nearly one-quarter are either vacant, for rent, in poor condition, or on the market for sale. More than 59 percent of the rental housing units and nearly 20 percent of owner-occupied homes are in substandard condition.
ASU's Historically Black Colleges and Universities activities are conducted through its Center for Rural Life and Economic Development (CRLED), a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded project designed to serve as a catalyst to providing a range of services to communities in rural southwest Mississippi. The activities include economic development support for Wilkinson County and a Neighborhood Networks program located in a public housing complex in Natchez.
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