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The Black Belt story is painful but profound.
The death of plankton led to the life of cotton, which led to the bondage of enslaved people who harvested it, which led to the freedom of the voters who descended from them.
Death leads to Life leads to Bondage leads to Freedom.
The death of plankton led to the life of cotton, which led to the bondage of enslaved people who harvested it, which led to the freedom of the voters who descended from them.
Death leads to Life leads to Bondage leads to Freedom.
Future life and freedom — of citizens, of the planet — hinge, in part, on this vote. If you can and you haven't already ... GO CAST YOURS.
PHOTO & MAP CREDITS:
1972, 1976, 1980, 1984 & 2000 by Tilden76 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
2012, 2008, By Inqvisitor - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 2004 By William S. Saturn - Adapted from File:2012 Presidential Election by County.svg, CC BY-SA 4.0,
2016 By Ali Zifan CC BY-SA 4.0
1972, 1976, 1980, 1984 & 2000 by Tilden76 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
2012, 2008, By Inqvisitor - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 2004 By William S. Saturn - Adapted from File:2012 Presidential Election by County.svg, CC BY-SA 4.0,
2016 By Ali Zifan CC BY-SA 4.0
Cretaceous rock units, slavery map, cotton production map: Steve Dutch, UW Green Bay
Cretaceous NA: Ron Blakely, Northern Arizona University
Soil: Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Cretaceous NA: Ron Blakely, Northern Arizona University
Soil: Alabama Cooperative Extension System
READ MORE here:
https://stevedutch.net/research/elec2000/geolelec2000.htm
https://stevedutch.net/research/elec2000/geolelec2000.htm
And here: http://www.uapress.ua.edu/product/Civil-Wars-Civil-Beings-and-Civil-Rights-in-Alab,7462.aspx
CLARIFICATION: I neglected to mention a third reason that Prof English told me about why most former enslaved ppl didn't leave the Black Belt post-Emancipation. And it's quite a poignant one. Quoting him in full:
"Why would you leave? That’s not just a rhetorical question. You have worked this land. By your toil, others benefitted. By your moil, others benefitted. Your mother and your father worked this land that others reaped the reward for.
"Now that your enslavement is legally over, why would you leave land that grew because of your blood, your sweat, your tears, your family members' or other loved ones’ lives being lost, when you could perhaps now own it yourself? That was the divine promise of Reconstruction.”
