Complex sentence: Cobb gained extreme recognition and praise for as a black man he was making a name for himself he managed to maintain his farm even through the natural disasters such as the boll weevil epidemic and the collapse of the cotton prices.
Split into simpler sentences: Cobb gained extreme recognition and praise, for as a black man he was making a name for himself. He managed to maintain his farm even through the natural disasters such as the boll weevil epidemic and the collapse of cotton prices.