[Sir Hailstone]

That would be the “black belt.” Initially named so because of the soil, it came also to describe the majority-African American demographic in that area.

Wouldn't that be Selma and Tuskeegee?

[Clemenza]

Correct. Due to the richness of the soil, it was the main area of settlement for slaves. Despite a declining population, it still is the central area of black settlement in Alabama.

[hotshu]

Actually, if my geography memory serves, Selma is just a bit north, just west of Montgomery, and Tuskegee a bit further north, between Montgomery and Atlanta, near Auburn.