Abandonment in Dixie: Underdevelopment in the Black Belt

The Black Belt region has been described as America’s Third World. Although this region has been defined historically by eminent scholars such as W. E. B. Dubois, Booker T. Washington, and Arthur Raper, a new twenty-first century definition is needed to address current conditions within the region. Womack focuses on the rural African American population and explores the history and experiences of this group, while addressing the interdependence of political ideology, history, culture, public policy, and present-day social, political, and economic conditions that influence and encompass the Black Belt experience. Looking into the political history of the region and the creation of a distinct Black Belt political culture, Womack focuses on the development of both nonviolent and Black nationalistic political ideologies, the rise of African American elected officials, as well as the influence of political conservatism and the Republican Party.