TFH Black Belt

The Black Belt used to be known as the Cotton Belt because its economy was initially based on cotton plantations, but it was later renamed the Black Belt after the rich fertile soil that runs throughout the region. The Black Belt region has historically ranked toward the bottom of American regions in terms of quality of life indicators such as high poverty rates, low to median incomes, high mortality rates and unemployment rates, and low educational levels. Transportation routes have historically been inadequate in this region as well. The population of the Black Belt is largely African American and carries a rich culture that has made many notable contributions to the arts and sciences.