Only a few places hold historical, cultural, and political significance as the ‘Black Belt’ does in the United States of America. The term ‘Black Belt’ in the US, particularly referring to the region in the South, is rooted in historical racism due to its association with the high concentration of enslaved Africans and African Americans in the area and the fertile dark soil that was used for cash crops, which were often cultivated by enslaved labor.
What is the ‘Black Belt’?
The Black Belt in the American South refers to the social history, especially concerning slavery and black workers, of the geological region known as the Black Belt.
The geology emphasizes the highly fertile black soil. Historically, the black belt economy was based on cotton plantations – along with some tobacco plantation areas along the Virginia-North Carolina border. The valuable land was largely controlled by rich whites and worked by very poor, primarily black slaves who, in many counties, constituted a majority of the population. Generally, the term is applied to a larger region than that defined by its geology.
After 1945, a large fraction of the laborers were replaced by machinery, and they joined the Great Migration to cities of the Midwest and West. Political analysts and historians continue to use the term Black Belt to designate some 200 counties in the South from Virginia to Texas that have a history of majority African American population and cotton production.
What are the ‘Black Belt’ states?
By 1894, political commentators used the term ‘Black Belt’ so often that the term was already very well known in the United States.
The Black Belt is a region of the U.S. state of Alabama. The term originally referred to the region's rich, black soil, much of it in the soil order Vertisols. As reported by The Nation in 1894, “There are 12 counties in Alabama, in each of which the blacks are twice as numerous as the whites. These 12 counties, stretching across southern Central Alabama from Georgia and Mississippi, constitute the principal portion of the famous Black Belt.”
The Black Belt region stretches from eastern, south-central Alabama into northwestern Mississippi. The region includes parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia and also extends into parts of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
Why is it called the ‘Black Belt’?
Political activists and historians continue to use "Black Belt" in considering politics in predominantly black rural areas in the South. For example, in 1962, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote of his "People to People" tour through the Black Belt of Virginia: "The idea of 'massive resistance' was spawned not in Georgia or Alabama—–but in the hearts of the Southside Virginia, commonly known as the Black Belt."
In 1964, King met with black leaders to find a target locale to publicize the civil rights movement in Alabama. Large cities were eliminated, so according to historian Charles S. Aiken, "King had only the state's small nonmetropolitan cities from which to select the place to focus the campaign for new voting rights legislation.... There was no other choice but the "open spaces" of the Black Belt, and in the Black Belt there was no alternative to Selma." In 2012, political scientist Seth McKee concluded that in the 1964 election, "Once again, the high level of support for Goldwater in the Deep South, and especially their Black Belt counties [where most blacks were still disenfranchised], spoke to the enduring significance of white resistance to black progress."
Key points to keep in mind:
Historical Context: The "Black Belt" refers to a region in the Southern United States, including parts of states like Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, characterized by its dark, fertile soil and historically high concentration of enslaved Africans and African Americans.
Geological Formation: The soil is a result of marine organisms, like plankton and shellfish, accumulating on the seafloor and forming thick deposits of calcium-rich limestone, which later weathered into fertile, alkaline soils.
Economic Basis: This region was known for its plantation economy, where cash crops like cotton, tobacco, and sugar were grown, often using enslaved labor.
Socio-political Context: The term also came to represent the high concentration of African Americans in the region, both during the era of slavery and afterward.
Racial Segregation: The "Black Belt" became a symbol of racial segregation and discrimination, with Black people being confined to the area and facing systemic oppression.
Jim Crow Laws: The Jim Crow laws further entrenched racial segregation and discrimination in the South, impacting all aspects of life for African Americans, including housing, education, employment, and voting.
De Facto Segregation: Even in areas without formal "Jim Crow" laws, racial segregation and discrimination were prevalent, with Black people being confined to certain areas and denied opportunities.
Modern Challenges: The region faces socioeconomic challenges, including poverty, unemployment, and limited access to education and healthcare, which are partly rooted in the legacy of slavery and plantation agriculture.