Roberts

THE BLACK BELT SOLUTION: A PRACTITIONER’S OBSERVATIONS

Tucson Roberts
President and CEO, Covington County (Alabama) Economic Development Corporation

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Executive Summary
Alabama’s Black Belt was once a vibrant area. As cotton farming began to dry up so did the local economies. The Black Belt has turned into one of the nation’s poorest regions. This editorial discusses what challenges the Black Belt has and how these challenges can be overcome. The steps to rebuild the Black Belt are not going to happen overnight but with dedication and work these twelve counties can once again prosper.

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Alabama’s Black Belt
The Black Belt of Alabama is a geographic place consisting of twelve counties, ten counties in West Alabama and two counties in Central Alabama. The Black Belt is also a unique demographic entity that in many respects is representative of a Third World country. The Alabama Black Belt is made up of Greene, Hale, Bibb, Perry, Sumter, Marengo, Choctaw, Wilcox, Macon, Bullock, and Dallas counties.

Figure 1 Black Belt counties

As of March 2009, the unemployment rate of the Black Belt stood at 12.3 percent. Eight of the top twelve Alabama Counties with the highest unemployment in 2008 were in the Black Belt. Sixty-five percent are African American, and nearly 32 percent live in poverty, twice the Alabama average. Per capita income in these 12 counties averages only 74 percent of the Alabama average for the years 2000-2002 (Census Bureau 2009). Stanford Achievement Test scores are dismal and consistently among the worst in the state. Functional illiteracy (classified as Literacy Level I by the Alabama Department of Education) averages an appalling 43 percent among the residents of the Black Belt (Alabama Department of Education 2007). The area is racially polarized, and many school systems are segregated with blacks attending public schools and whites attending private academies.

The name “Black Belt” refers to the rich, dark, fertile soil of the region. In 1860, the Black Belt and its cotton-rich economy were among the wealthiest in Alabama. Over time, many of the region’s best and brightest (both Black and White) have left to find successful careers elsewhere. Since the end of the Civil War, year after year, decade after decade, Alabama’s Black Belt has continued to lose population. As a greater percentage of the White population declines, the percentage of the Black population has increased. In this environment, it is little surprise that the Black Belt has become a situation that breeds an attitude of despair and hopelessness among its residents.

Over the past few decades, some substantial progress has been made. New water and sewer systems, public health facilities and schools have been constructed, improving the overall standard of living; however, the Black Belt continues to lag far behind. Over the past 30 years, no governor, legislature, or even the federal government has fully and successfully been able to change the condition of the area. The Black Belt represents one of the ultimate challenges for community and economic developers.

Fresh out of The University of Alabama, I began my career in E.D. in the Black Belt. I spent a total of ten formative years at the Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission in Camden and at the Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority in Selma. Since leaving the Black Belt in 1985, I have worked in both metro and rural communities in three states. Throughout my career journey, my Black Belt experience has always been with me, and I have continually wrestled with questions concerning the development of that area. What problems cause the Black Belt to lag? What conditions must change to stimulate and create solutions? In what ways are the problems of this region similar to other lagging regions of America?

Every community in which I have worked outside the Black Belt has faced considerable infrastructure, business expansion, or social challenges. In each case, local leadership emerged or was in place to recognize the problems and marshal or acquire the resources to address the problems. The solution was initiated in the local community, who then found the support to solve the problem. The ability of communities to analyze problems and self correct them separates economically successful communities from stagnant or declining communities. My experience indicates that the ultimate answer to the Black Belt’s condition must come from the local leadership. I believe there is no alternative. I offer these thoughts and observations solely as an experienced and slightly frustrated E.D. practitioner, but one who cares deeply about his state and particularly the people of Alabama’s Black Belt.

Many academic studies, statistical comparisons and strategic plans have been written that identify the problems and recommend solutions. The most recent and comprehensive is the Governor Riley’s Black Belt Action Commission. I served as a member of the Commission’s Workforce Committee, and can attest that the Commission’s evaluations are well conceived and the recommended actions solid. The study recognized an obvious conditions or characteristics that are substandard and then recommended a commitment of resources and action to address and fix the problem in each case. An example of this is if there were a healthcare issue, then the obvious solution is to subsidize health care. If education is substandard, then the solution is to put additional funds into education. This also applies to roads, water, sewer, crime, poverty, training, etc. The real problem is more fundamental than simple assistance from the outside. The essential problem is internal; the Black Belt suffers from a lack of self-generated ingenuity, ideas, and the will to execute them.

The result, I believe, has been an attitude of apathy where local leaders simply ignore problems or look to others to solve them. Unfortunately, left to its own evolution, it is extremely improbable that the Black Belt will ever heal. The reason is that this country offers social programs that support a host of federal and state programs. These programs are available to address all manner of domestic assistance, including special education programs, industrial roads, water, sewer, health care, and special job training. There is literally a state or federal program to address every physical problem in the Black Belt.

However, state and federal infrastructure and social programs are generally designed to address needs established and supported by education districts, local nonprofits, and units of government. Someone from a local community must apply or request help to meet a locally identified need. Federal and state programs rarely grant assistance without initiative and support from the local area. No one from the U.S. Government or State of Alabama is going to independently recruit and locate an industry, find and prepare a site, install utility systems, build a building or locate a workforce to serve that industry. The local community must express a desire and commitment to grow and ask for help. Personal responsibility and local leadership are the ingredients that ensure success.

On a topic of particular importance to me, all public schools in the Black Belt presently employ teachers that can read and write. There is no valid excuse to graduate disproportionate numbers of high school seniors who are functionally illiterate. So, why are 43 percent (National Institute for Literacy 1998) of the residents classified by the Alabama Department of Education as functionally illiterate? A similar number, 45 percent, of the adult population has not completed high school (Alabama Department of Education 1998). With adult literacy programs, countless merit scholarships, as well as need- based scholarships to send students to college or training schools, why do students disproportionately fail to attend or even apply?

Local parents are best suited to passionately demand competent teachers, school discipline, and competitive test scores. Parents can also ensure that the values of self-reliance, discipline and individual responsibility are instilled in their children. There is also a role for schools, churches, grandparents and community centers. Parental responsibility and leadership must be a key component in the solution.

Lagging in virtually every measurable social indicator, where does one begin the process? Ideally, local leadership will choose to attack all issues at once. But the Black Belt is too large, the population too rural, isolated and dispersed to act effectively as a single unit. There is a parallel way to accelerate E.D. in the Black Belt: regional development.

There are five principal hub cities surrounding or within the ten western Black Belt counties, including: Demopolis, Monroeville, Thomasville, Tuscaloosa and Selma. The two central counties are most affected by the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and Auburn-Opelika MSA.

Figure 3 Black Belt Radius map (7-05 revised)

These five western cities have the resources to support regional E.D., including industrial parks, universities, community colleges, financial institutions, capital, infrastructure, skill, and labor availability. Furthermore, each city currently serves as a retail market and medical center serving multi-county regions. A 40-mile commuting radius from each city covers virtually the entire Black Belt.

Within these cities rests much of the economic future of the Black Belt. As each city expands its businesses, it will exert increasing economic influence on its market areas, including portions of the Black Belt. Leaders and businesses in these cities can play a critical role, not only in regional business development and commerce, but in personal responsibility and leadership development.

Based on principals of leadership, personal responsibility, and regional E.D., I believe there are ten practical steps the State of Alabama should consider to accelerate the overall economic and social development of the Black Belt:

Support and intensify the Economic Development Association of Alabama (EDAA) sponsored Community Leadership (CLE) program. This education program is designed to outline and summarize the growth and development process to local leaders. It is available by request to EDAA from local communities and has been successful throughout the state. However, CLE needs to be continual and available in every Black Belt county since community and elected leadership is constantly being replaced every two-to-four years.

Begin a serious effort to instill self-reliance and personal responsibility to the next generation of the Black Belt. All schools at every grade level K-12 should promote personal responsibility and self-reliance and build it into the curriculum every day. This is not standard in any other Alabama school curriculum. However, the Black Belt requires a special, innovative approach to address self- reliance, individual responsibility, and leadership challenges

Initiate formal cooperation through the Black Belt churches and other non-profits to promote parental responsibility, personal responsibility, and leadership.

Assist the Cities of Demopolis, Monroeville, Thomasville, Tuscaloosa and Selma to recognize their regional responsibility and sponsor regional strategic planning. A formal regional alliance of these four (and other) cities should be created to share best practices, successful developments, and provide political stimulation and media leverage. A similar commitment to engage the Montgomery, and Auburn–Opelika MSAs (and other interested cities) needs to be developed for the two central Black Belt counties.

Form a consortium including the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development, the Department of Postsecondary Education (to include Alabama Industrial Development Training, and Black Belt Community Colleges), The University of Alabama, University of West Alabama, University of South Alabama, and Auburn University to assist and advise local communities to promote leadership, community assessments analysis, training, and educational assistance.

The Alabama Development Office and The Office of Workforce Development should create regional existing industry alliances to identify current skill shortages, anticipate future labor needs and current operating problems in the Black Belt.

Enlist and encourage Black Belt communities to participate in The Alabama Department of Community and Economic Development (ADECA) “Alabama Communities of Excellence” program that prepares local communities for new business growth.

Entrepreneurial skills need to be taught to Black Belt residents, centered and promoted in the five primary western and two central market cities. Business incubation centers and entrepreneurial training should be sponsored and conducted by the area colleges and regional planning commissions. Local churches, media and retail centers should be involved to promote entrepreneurial skill training.

The state should sponsor the ongoing Design Alabama program to beautify and make small towns attractive. The program is offered by the Auburn University College of Architecture and every community in the Black Belt that wishes to participate should be encouraged and supported.

Assign a specialist from ADECA, ADO and other funding agencies to work with local Black Belt communities to implement elements of local strategic plans that require state and federal assistance

The State’s role
Once individuals in the Black Belt admit they have a personal responsibility and leadership problem, the state needs to develop their existing leadership and other residents to advance the process. In some areas, such as Selma and Demopolis, the effort has already begun and needs to be sustained and expanded. In other areas, the effort needs to be initiated. Most will agree that a long-term commitment is required and may take decades to change the current culture. This effort, however, is critical. The state should design as well as support local initiatives that encourage leadership, personal responsibility, and self- reliance. Without local initiative and leadership, there is little hope for a fundamental change in the dependency culture of the Black Belt. I am convinced that money alone cannot and will not solve the problem.

The State of Alabama should concentrate its focus on the Black Belt’s human capital, including. This type effort is inexpensive relative to infrastructure improvements but is essential for long-term development and the ultimate solution to the Black Belt’s persistent condition. However, it will require an intense, consistent effort and multi-year commitment. Over time it will work.

The problem with the Black Belt can be summarized in a few words: self- reliance, personal responsibility, and leadership. That is not to say that there is a lack of responsibility or leaders. But, there is a shortage of both personal initiative and visionary leadership. I define personal initiative as a personal responsibility to better one’s family and community. I define visionary leadership as the ability to see needs, communicate those needs, and mobilize a community to achieve a long-term goal. Visionary leadership is not necessarily political. Leadership can emerge from every element in a community; political, business, church, and individual. This variety of leadership is rare in the Black Belt. Leadership promotes vision and that vision yields results. A leader must be locally grounded and home grown. A leader may not have the resources, but will obtain the right resources. A leader may not have technical expertise, but will secure the expertise. A leader may not have popular support, but will find the support. Only local leadership coupled with personal responsibility can overcome the existing condition, attitude, and secure and engage the resources to solve the problem.

Problems of infrastructure, healthcare, crime, and education can be directly addressed with money and other resources. One’s attitude and outlook in life can only be changed individually, one person at a time. Cultural change at this level is a long, deliberate process, but it will accelerate with the infusion of self-reliance, personal responsibility and leadership. To change the Black Belt, the resident’s attitude and outlook must change. Only then will the community develop a strategy (or many separate strategies) and commitment to advance.

"Black Families of Alabama's Black Belt." Image. http://www.prairiebluff.com/blackbelt/, November 11, 2009.

Bridging the Divide, Auburn University's Outreach to Alabama's Black Belt. Royrickers Cook, Ralph Foster. Auburn, AL: Auburn University, 2004.