Marengo County has been awarded $21,200 in grants from the Black Belt Community Foundation during its annual grant awards ceremony held at Wallace Community College in Selma.

The Demopolis Singers, Friends of Gaineswood, Marengo County Archives and History Museum and the Two Rivers Arts Council were all awarded $5,000 each and the Friends of the Demopolis Public Library was awarded $1,200.

“With every round of Black Belt Arts Initiative Grants, we work diligently to connect hard working organizations to financial resources so they are able to make positive changes our communities,” stated BBCF executive director Felecia Jones. “We are excited to see the impact of this $170,000 investment on this region.”

The Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) awarded a total of $170,000 to 42 non-profit organizations based in and serving Alabama’s Black Belt region.

Among other organizations receiving awards were local museums, community theaters, festivals and youth organizations offering concentrated arts programs.

The Black Belt Community Foundation was established in 2004 to support community efforts in the Black Belt that will contribute to the strength, innovation and success of all of the region’s people and communities. BBCF began a partnership in 2006 with the Youth and Cultural Committee of the Black Belt Action Commission and the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) which established the Black Belt Arts Initiative.

The goals of this project are to promote artists, arts awareness and creativity in the Black Belt. Since 2006, BBCF has awarded $687,500 in support of various arts activities across BBCF’s 12-county service area.