African Americans in southern rural regions: The importance of legacy

This analysis reassesses the importance of the combined legacies of race, class, and culture by using the concentration of African Americans in a county as a general measure of this phenomenon for thirteen Southern states. Explanatory variables associated with labor force structure, social well-being and region provide evidence that those areas of the South with the highest concentrations of African Americans continue to be the most disadvantaged. These results suggest little change for metropolitan counties with increased concentrations of African Americans. The analyses point toward the need for a focused assessment of the efficacy of existing public and private programs to provide a foundation for overcoming the negative dimensions of the regional legacy.