The Black Belt Region in the United States refers to the social and demographic crescent of 623 southern counties that contain a higher than average percentages of African American residents. These counties are highly contiguous and form a belt-like pattern across parts of 11 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia). For historical reasons, these counties are largely characterized by rural decline, inadequate education programs and acute problems of poverty, poor health, substandard housing, and underemployment.
Booker T. Washington wrote of the Black Belt: "The term seems to be used wholly in a political sense - That is, to designate counties where the black people outnumber the white."
Historically, the Black Belt Region was the main producer of cotton in the mid-19th century. Many issues, including soil depletion and erosion, ended cotton as a major crop in the region, and peanuts and soybeans are now grown in its place.
