A sense of history: Why this Black Belt county has Alabama's highest voter turnout

EUTAW — In the town square of Eutaw, the modern world hems in a relic of an older one that no longer exists.

The Eutaw Hotel is long gone. Even among older locals, the V.J. Elmore’s Five & Dime is nothing but a faint memory. Places like Mills Pharmacy or Main Street Diner get the foot traffic these days. But inside the square, the old Greene County Courthouse still stands, along with a towering oak tree just yards away.

The tree was much shorter when Earlean Isaac, then 15 years old, marched with others to the courthouse for voting rights in 1965. It was where Isaac, who would go on to become the first Black female probate judge in the county, was beaten by a police officer.

He hit me with his Billy club,” Isaac said.




https://alabamareflector.com/2026/06/16/a-sense-of-history-why-this-black-belt-county-has-alabamas-highest-voter-turnout/