Rome, Mississippi

Rome is a village in northern Sunflower County, in the Mississippi Delta. It is one of the Delta towns that has been "left behind." It is not incorporated and has no formal government. There are about 250 residents in and around Rome. Eighty-eight percent of the population lives within a quarter-mile radius. Seventy-six percent of the population is African American, twenty-three percent is white, and less than one percent is biracial. A little more than fifty percent of the population is under the ago of 18. Sixty-two percent of the adults are employed.

The Rome Community Development Organization (RCDO) was formed officially in April 1996 with the purpose of improving the quality of life for people in the Rome community and the surrounding area. Since its inception, the organization has worked with various state and local organizations to improve leadership abilities, strengthen race relations, combat apathy, nurture families, and improve quality of life. The organization worked closely with the local water association, county board of supervisors, local citizens, and planning boards to secure a 1.1 million-dollar waste treatment project for Rome.

In addition, the RCDO has worked with the Quitman County Development Organization, Tallahatchie County Ministerial Alliance, University Center for Economic Development at Mississippi Valley State University, Foundation for the Mid-South, Ameri-Corp, and local churches, on various projects. The organization is dedicated to building its capacity to aid its community in the areas of developing and improving local and county government, promoting leadership development, providing recreational and educational opportunities for youths, creating economic growth by attracting businesses and industries, providing work force training, combating apathy and defeatism, promoting community beautification, and helping families to obtain safe and affordable housing and economic freedom.

For more information about the community, email rcdo96@hughes.net.

	Click here for a more detailed map of Rome

"I've been serving the Rome community since 2000. From the beginning, local folks were determined to provide enrichment opportunities for their children.... Over the course of our involvement in the community, Rome has inspired us and helped refocus our energies. It has been a pleasure to support their work.” Susan M. Glisson, Director William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation