4 ms·

What's heartbreakingly tragic about this? Your statements reads as if a county having a high percentage of African American residents is negative.

bag_boy 4y ago
Most of African Americans who live in the BB are descendants of slaves. They didn’t want to be in the black belt.
- irrational 4y ago
  Do they want to be in Africa? I doubt it. Slavery is bad, but that doesn’t mean it is tragic that the descendants of those slaves are living in America.
  - Robelius 4y ago
    I think bag_boy was trying to highlight the tragedy that we can still see direct effects of slavery in the United States, not that it's tragic that descendants of Africans live in America
    - daveslash 4y ago
      I can't speak for bag_boy, but yes, that was more or less what I was getting at; while the correlation is fascinating, it's also sad to think about the "why" and "how" behind it. I didn't mean to kick a hornets nest...
    - bag_boy 4y ago
      That’s right - thank you
  - mistermann 4y ago
    It isn't absolutely tragic, but there is surely some tragedy within the overall story, including in some lingering after effects.
tshaddox 4y ago
It's the chattel slavery that's tragic.
mike00632 4y ago
I think you're ignoring the mistreatment of Black people in the black belt. For example, recently when Alabama instituted its voter ID laws it closed every DMV in the black belt so that Black people wouldn't have access to get IDs and vote.
- daniel-cussen 4y ago
  Well...the fact plantations were more viable due to soil conditions, does that by itself mean the slaves were treated worse? Could be, could be. Plus I believe rural blacks in the South just want to work good land, which by this point they often own. It's an agricultural area, the most people live on the best land. And further, the weather is more similar to Africa, hotter sunnier more humid. Subtropical. And then plus they're segregating of their own accord, they like each other they go to the same churches they share recipes for soul and Creole food, cook that pig good, share the crops. Sing together. Elect black representatives to go to Washington for them, being in a majority, that's another thing. Electing black Senators, that changes the game. And for that they need to be together in one place.
  - mike00632 4y ago
    >...does that by itself mean the slaves were treated worse? No, but specifically targeting Black people for marginalization by doing things like removing their ability to vote does count as being "treated worse". >... just want to work good land, which by this point they often own. If you think that the end of slavery automatically resulted in Black people owning land they farm on you need to read about what actually happens.
dillondoyle 4y ago
The naming irony / play on words. It's tragic because of this fertile 'black belt' slavery was able to exist profitably in that region.
bryanrasmussen 4y ago
>depositing rich organic deposits, which in turn allowed for plantations to thrive in those parts of the deep south. that is to say, the rich organic deposits of the black belt allowed slavery in the plantation model, creating the black belt as a racial profile.

bag_boy 4y ago

Most of African Americans who live in the BB are descendants of slaves. They didn’t want to be in the black belt.

irrational 4y ago
Do they want to be in Africa? I doubt it. Slavery is bad, but that doesn’t mean it is tragic that the descendants of those slaves are living in America.
- Robelius 4y ago
  I think bag_boy was trying to highlight the tragedy that we can still see direct effects of slavery in the United States, not that it's tragic that descendants of Africans live in America
  - daveslash 4y ago
    I can't speak for bag_boy, but yes, that was more or less what I was getting at; while the correlation is fascinating, it's also sad to think about the "why" and "how" behind it. I didn't mean to kick a hornets nest...
  - bag_boy 4y ago
    That’s right - thank you
- mistermann 4y ago
  It isn't absolutely tragic, but there is surely some tragedy within the overall story, including in some lingering after effects.

tshaddox 4y ago

It's the chattel slavery that's tragic.

mike00632 4y ago

I think you're ignoring the mistreatment of Black people in the black belt. For example, recently when Alabama instituted its voter ID laws it closed every DMV in the black belt so that Black people wouldn't have access to get IDs and vote.

daniel-cussen 4y ago
Well...the fact plantations were more viable due to soil conditions, does that by itself mean the slaves were treated worse? Could be, could be. Plus I believe rural blacks in the South just want to work good land, which by this point they often own. It's an agricultural area, the most people live on the best land. And further, the weather is more similar to Africa, hotter sunnier more humid. Subtropical. And then plus they're segregating of their own accord, they like each other they go to the same churches they share recipes for soul and Creole food, cook that pig good, share the crops. Sing together. Elect black representatives to go to Washington for them, being in a majority, that's another thing. Electing black Senators, that changes the game. And for that they need to be together in one place.
- mike00632 4y ago
  >...does that by itself mean the slaves were treated worse? No, but specifically targeting Black people for marginalization by doing things like removing their ability to vote does count as being "treated worse". >... just want to work good land, which by this point they often own. If you think that the end of slavery automatically resulted in Black people owning land they farm on you need to read about what actually happens.

dillondoyle 4y ago

The naming irony / play on words. It's tragic because of this fertile 'black belt' slavery was able to exist profitably in that region.

bryanrasmussen 4y ago

>depositing rich organic deposits, which in turn allowed for plantations to thrive in those parts of the deep south. that is to say, the rich organic deposits of the black belt allowed slavery in the plantation model, creating the black belt as a racial profile.