According to 2010 US Census Bureau statistics, the racial makeup of Mercer County is estimated to be 91.9% white, 3.5% black, 2.4% latino,  0.4% asian and 2% or less of american indian or alaskan native , native hawaiian or pacific islander. These numbers indicate that Mercer County, in terms of racial diversity, is recognizably behind the state averages. With limitations on racial diversity, the Mercer County Cooperative Extension Service in collaboration with more than 20 local businesses implemented MLK Day in 2007. This has now become an annual program reaching and educating around 200 community citizens about diversity.  

The Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) has worked diligently for fifteen years to increase the number of opportunities to dialogue and discuss community issues regarding diversity.  Many barriers to this programming exist and yet, even in a pandemic year, the FCS Agent was able to engage 178 individuals in more than 30 hours of virtual and hybrid programming as part of multiple opportunities including Mercer County’s 15^th Annual MLK Day event, 4-part Healing Communities through Conversation Series, 5-part Race and Reconciliation Community Conversations Series and 4-part volunteer-led book club from January through June of 2021.  Additionally, Mercer County’s Extension District Board has the first ever African American board member; sworn in in January of 2021, Tiffany Yeast, is a founding and active member of the annual MLK Day planning committee.