These counties (especially the western ones in Alabama) are also solidly democrat, some of the poorest in the nation, and demographically more black than most other counties in Alabama. Every election, its easy to pick out the clack belt on the county map. I don’t understand why, but these areas are poor, despite their resources.
I live in the black belt. Although it has rich soils, that’s about it. Only so many people can work in agriculture. There is no industry to speak of. A big part of the lack of development goes back to George Wallace. When they were putting in the Inter State system, Wallace made sure that I-85 stopped in Montgomery. It was supposed to go west through the black belt and hook up to the Inter States in Mississippi. He basically said the “N’s” ain’t getting any road. No good roads equals no investment.