THE CAUSES OF ENDURING POVERTY IN THE CAUSES OF ENDURING POVERTY IN ALABAMA’S BLACK BELTALABAMA’S BLACK BELT* 

 

 Andrew A. Zekeri

Tuskegee University

Tuskegee, Alabama 36088 

 

 *Presentation to Regional Poverty Conference on “In the Shadows of Poverty: Strengthening the Rural Poverty Research Capacity of the South,” sponsored by Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, TN, and Rural Policy Research Institute’s Rural Poverty Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO. July 21-23, Memphis, TN.

Map by Birmingham News, May 12, 2002

POVERTY IN ALABAMA’S BLACK BELTPOVERTY IN ALABAMA’S BLACK BELT

1. High Concentration of 1. High Concentration of “Poverty Prone” Groups“Poverty Prone” Groups

1.1. African AmericansAfrican Americans

2.2. Female-Headed HouseholdsFemale-Headed Households

3.3. Teenage ParentsTeenage Parents

4.4. The elderlyThe elderly

5.5. Children under 18Children under 18

6.6. Poorly educated residentsPoorly educated residents

High Concentration of blacksHigh Concentration of blacks

• High concentration of High concentration of black people black people encourages poor encourages poor policies, poor policies, poor education, inadequate education, inadequate infrastructure, and infrastructure, and consequently, it consequently, it discourages economic discourages economic developmentdevelopment

• Unofficial Policy of the Unofficial Policy of the 30% Rule30% Rule

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

USA Alabama Bullock Dallas Low ndes Macon Wilcox

Percent African American, 2000

High Concentration of blacks = High Concentration of blacks = Racial ApprehensionRacial Apprehension

• Many industrialists would not like to live Many industrialists would not like to live in a predominantly black community. in a predominantly black community. They feel that blacks can be militant and They feel that blacks can be militant and unpredictable.unpredictable.

• Race matters. Thus, the axiom is: “The Race matters. Thus, the axiom is: “The blacker the county, the more likely blacker the county, the more likely business will bypass it.” There is an business will bypass it.” There is an industrial redlining in Alabama’s Black industrial redlining in Alabama’s Black Belt.Belt.

2. 2. Structural Characteristics of Structural Characteristics of

the Areathe Area

1.1. Poor employment opportunitiesPoor employment opportunities2.2. Business closingsBusiness closings3.3. Poor public services and Poor public services and

infrastructuresinfrastructures4.4. Social cost of spaceSocial cost of space5.5. Globalization-DependencyGlobalization-Dependency6.6. Local Politics that set people in Local Politics that set people in

opposition to one anotheropposition to one another

High Concentration of Black PeopleHigh Concentration of Black People

High Concentration of Black PeopleHigh Concentration of Black People

High Concentration of Black PeopleHigh Concentration of Black People

The ElderlyThe Elderly

The NeighborhoodThe Neighborhood

The Neighborhood

Business ClosingsBusiness Closings

Bud’s Going out of BusinessBud’s Going out of Business

Closed Gas Station

• Newspaper and other offices burnt downNewspaper and other offices burnt down

Globalization=DependencyGlobalization=Dependency

Political Divisions Set People ApartPolitical Divisions Set People Apart

Local Politics and Poor NeighborhoodLocal Politics and Poor Neighborhood

THE FUTURE OF ALABAMA’S THE FUTURE OF ALABAMA’S BLACK BELTBLACK BELT

• It seems to me that efforts are needed at three It seems to me that efforts are needed at three levels:levels:

1.1. Federal and state efforts are needed.Federal and state efforts are needed.

2.2. At the local level,At the local level, efforts are needed to build efforts are needed to build local capacity for collective action and self-help.local capacity for collective action and self-help.

3.3. Science and Education-thereScience and Education-there is a continuing is a continuing need to provide assistance to those who act in need to provide assistance to those who act in the local society in response to local problems.the local society in response to local problems.

Research Agenda for the Research Agenda for the 21st Century21st Century

• What is needed in research, from my What is needed in research, from my viewpoint, is to focus on local deficits in the viewpoint, is to focus on local deficits in the fundamental requirements for social well-fundamental requirements for social well-being, namely jobs and income, services, being, namely jobs and income, services, equality, and community.equality, and community.

• Figuring out how to build local capacity in Figuring out how to build local capacity in rural communities of the south is one of the rural communities of the south is one of the central challenges of the new millennium central challenges of the new millennium for rural sociology.for rural sociology.