African Americans

African Americans
Tweedle · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Group	African American
Population estimate	~40 million (U.S.)
Regions	United States, Atlanta, New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C.
Languages	English, African American Vernacular English, Yoruba, Igbo, Kongo
Religions	Christianity, Islam, Rastafarianism, African diasporic religions
Related	Afro-Caribbean peoples, African immigrants, Latino communities

African Americans African American identity refers to people in the United States with ancestral origins in the African continent, especially those whose ancestors experienced transatlantic slavery and its legacies. The community encompasses diverse lineages, regional cultures, languages, faiths, and political traditions, with major urban concentrations in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, and Los Angeles. Prominent figures and institutions across literature, music, science, law, sports, and politics have shaped national life through individuals such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Barack Obama, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, and organizations like the NAACP, National Urban League, and Black Lives Matter.

History

The historical arc spans early contact during the colonial era with events like the Transatlantic slave trade, plantation systems in Jamestown and the Chesapeake Bay, and resistance exemplified by rebellions such as the Stono Rebellion and the Nat Turner rebellion. The Civil War era involved participation in the United States Colored Troops and legislative outcomes including the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment, the 14th Amendment, and the 15th Amendment. Reconstruction saw political representation in legislatures and episodes of violence like the Colfax massacre and the rise of segregation codified by Jim Crow laws and decisions such as Plessy v. Ferguson. The Great Migration linked rural origins to urban destinations including Detroit, St. Louis, and Cleveland and reshaped cultural movements like the Harlem Renaissance. Twentieth-century struggles included legal battles before the Supreme Court of the United States culminating in Brown v. Board of Education and mass mobilizations during the Civil Rights Movement with leaders from SNCC to SCLC. Contemporary history features policy debates over mass incarceration tied to the War on Drugs, responses to police violence highlighted by Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner, and nationwide activism such as Black Lives Matter protests.

Demographics

Population patterns show concentrations in metropolitan areas including New York City, Atlanta metropolitan area, Chicago metropolitan area, Los Angeles County, and Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Migration trends include the Great Migration northward and the reverse movement to the Sun Belt and Atlanta known as the New Great Migration. Household and family statistics intersect with federal measures like the United States Census Bureau counts and inquiries into socioeconomic indicators used by agencies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Health disparities relate to studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and issues highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Demographic diversity includes Afro-Caribbean communities from Jamaica, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago and African immigrant populations from Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Ghana.

Culture and Contributions

Cultural influence spans music genres rooted in African diasporic practices such as blues music, jazz, gospel music, hip hop, and R&B music with artists from Louis Armstrong to Aretha Franklin to Tupac Shakur and Beyoncé. Literary traditions include figures like Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Visual and performing arts contributions include the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, writers and playwrights such as Lorraine Hansberry, and filmmakers like Spike Lee and Ava DuVernay. Scientific and medical achievements feature pioneers such as George Washington Carver, Charles Drew, Mae Jemison, Kizzmekia Corbett, and legal milestones by jurists including Thurgood Marshall. Sports icons include Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams, and LeBron James.

Civil Rights and Social Movements

Organized activism has involved institutions and campaigns like the NAACP, SCLC, Black Panther Party, SNCC, and modern groups such as Black Lives Matter. Landmark legal victories include Brown v. Board of Education, Loving v. Virginia, and legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Key events and tactics include the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Freedom Summer, sit-ins at Greensboro sit-ins, and marches like the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Contemporary movements address policing, voting access controversies before the Supreme Court of the United States, and community-based initiatives linked to organizations such as the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Politics and Civic Life

Political participation evolved from post-Reconstruction disenfranchisement to modern electoral influence exemplified by the election of Barack Obama and representation in bodies like the United States Congress and state legislatures. Advocacy organizations include the National Urban League, NAACP, and issue-focused groups such as the Black Voters Matter Fund. Policy debates span criminal justice reform, voting rights contested in cases like Shelby County v. Holder, health policy shaped by debates in Medicaid and Affordable Care Act implementation, and local governance in cities like Baltimore and New Orleans.

Economics and Education

Economic history includes forced labor systems of the plantation South and transitions through sharecropping, industrial employment during the Great Migration, and entrepreneurship exemplified by districts like Greenwood District prior to the Tulsa race massacre. Contemporary economic issues involve wealth gaps measured by the Federal Reserve, labor market data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and small-business initiatives supported by the Small Business Administration. Educational access and achievement engage institutions such as historically black colleges and universities like Howard University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, litigation before the Supreme Court of the United States including Brown v. Board of Education, and federal programs tied to the Department of Education.

Identity and Ethnicity

Identity encompasses multiracial lineages, cultural practices like African American Vernacular English, religious affiliations including Black churches and American Islam, and pan-African connections exemplified by figures like Marcus Garvey and institutions such as the Universal Negro Improvement Association. Debates over colorism, regional variations from the Gullah people to urban Creole cultures in New Orleans, and interactions with Afro-Caribbean and African immigrant communities inform ongoing discussions about heritage, representation, and belonging.

Category:Ethnic groups in the United States