African Americans in the United States

African Americans in the United States
Group	African Americans
Population	46.9 million (2020)
Regions	United States
Languages	American English, African American Vernacular English
Religions	Christianity in the United States, Islam in the United States

African Americans in the United States African Americans are citizens and residents of the United States with ancestral origins in the peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa, whose histories, cultures, and contributions have shaped modern American life. They encompass diverse identities tied to the legacy of the Transatlantic slave trade, participation in major events such as the American Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, and ongoing influence in United States presidential elections, Nobel Prize, and artistic movements.

History

The history of African-descended people in the United States begins with the Transatlantic slave trade that transported captives to the Colony of Virginia, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and other colonies under systems like the Plantation economy and laws such as the Slave Codes. Prominent resistance and leadership emerged from figures like Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Sojourner Truth, while institutions such as Hampton Institute and Howard University fostered Black intellectual life. The legal and political landscape shifted through landmark events and rulings including the American Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment, the Reconstruction Era, the rise of Jim Crow laws, and challenges culminating in the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Twentieth-century movements saw leaders and organizations such as Marcus Garvey, the Nation of Islam, W. E. B. Du Bois, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Black Panther Party pursue civil, economic, and social rights, while cultural renaissances in places like Harlem produced figures including Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong. Late 20th- and 21st-century developments involve the election of Barack Obama, debates over policies like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and movements such as Black Lives Matter.

Demographics

Population distribution shows concentrations in regions including the Southern United States states of Georgia (U.S. state), Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama (U.S. state), as well as urban centers like New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit. Migration patterns include the Great Migration to northern and western cities and the later Reverse migration to the South. Census categories record people identifying as African American alone or in combination with other ancestries, reflecting multiracial identities tied to histories with groups such as Native Americans in the United States and Irish Americans. Socioeconomic indicators from agencies such as the United States Census Bureau and studies by scholars at institutions like Harvard University, Princeton University, and University of Chicago document trends in household composition, urbanization, and age structure within this population.

Culture and Society

African American cultural influence spans music genres from Blues music to Jazz, Gospel music, R&B, Hip hop, and Soul music, with iconic artists including Bessie Smith, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Kendrick Lamar, and Beyoncé. Literary contributions include authors such as Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, and Alice Walker. Visual and performing arts are represented by painters like Jacob Lawrence, actors like Denzel Washington and Halle Berry, filmmakers such as Spike Lee and Ava DuVernay, and choreographers from companies like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Religious life features institutions such as the Black church tradition, prominent denominations including the African Methodist Episcopal Church and leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.; other spiritual expressions include the Nation of Islam and growing communities linked to Islam in the United States. Culinary traditions—soul food with dishes like gumbo and collard greens—are traced to West African, Caribbean, and Southern roots and have influenced American cuisine broadly.

Politics and Civil Rights

Political mobilization traces from Reconstruction-era officeholders and organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People through mid-century legal strategies culminating in Brown v. Board of Education and legislative victories such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Elected officials and activists—Thurgood Marshall, John Lewis, Strom Thurmond (as opposition), Shirley Chisholm, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, and Cory Booker—have shaped policy debates on voting access, criminal justice reform, and economic equity. Contemporary movements including Black Lives Matter and organizations like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Congressional Black Caucus focus on police reform, mass incarceration highlighted by scholarship from Michelle Alexander, and legislative advocacy in federal and state legislatures.

Education and Economic Status

Educational institutions central to African American advancement include Historically Black Colleges and Universities such as Howard University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Tuskegee University, alongside public research universities like University of California, Berkeley and University of Michigan. Disparities in educational attainment and school funding documented by researchers at Brookings Institution and reports from the United States Department of Education intersect with debates over affirmative action exemplified in cases like Regents of the University of California v. Bakke and Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College. Economic indicators show gaps in income and wealth measured by analysts at the Federal Reserve and economists like William Darity Jr. and Thomas M. Shapiro, with entrepreneurship highlighted by figures such as Madam C. J. Walker and corporate leadership exemplified by executives at firms like Time Warner and JP Morgan Chase.

Health and Social Issues

Health disparities documented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and research at institutions like Johns Hopkins University and Mayo Clinic include higher rates of chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and maternal mortality, leading to public health initiatives and policy responses. Environmental justice concerns often involve communities affected by industrial pollution and studies associated with Environmental Protection Agency enforcement and advocacy by groups like the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program. Criminal justice issues—highlighted by high incarceration rates tracked by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and critiques by scholars including Michelle Alexander—intersect with advocacy for sentencing reform and reentry programs led by organizations such as the Sentencing Project and The Bail Project.

Category:African American history