United States (African American community)

United States (African American community)
Name	United States (African American community)
Settlement type	Ethnic community
Population total	~46 million
Population as of	2020 census
Subdivisions	United States
Languages	African American Vernacular English, American English variants
Religions	Black church, Islam, Judaism, Vodou (diaspora)

United States (African American community) is the collective term for people of African descent in the United States whose ancestry traces to enslaved Africans, Caribbean migrants, and recent African immigrants. This community has shaped national institutions including the United States Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the cultural life of cities such as New York City, Chicago, and Atlanta. Its history intersects with events like the American Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement led by figures such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X.

History

African-descended peoples arrived in the Jamestown era and developed communities under chattel slavery codified by laws like the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850; prominent resistors included Nat Turner and Sojourner Truth. Emancipation followed the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment after the Battle of Gettysburg-era conflicts, while Reconstruction involved actors such as Frederick Douglass and institutions like the Freedmen's Bureau. The rollback of Reconstruction through Jim Crow laws and events like the Plessy v. Ferguson decision produced segregation upheld until challenges such as Brown v. Board of Education and campaigns by Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, and organizations including the NAACP and the SCLC. The later 20th century saw movements including the Black Power movement, leaders like Stokely Carmichael, arts renaissances such as the Harlem Renaissance with figures like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, and waves of migration exemplified by the Great Migration to cities including Detroit and Philadelphia.

Demographics

The community is concentrated in metropolitan areas such as New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles, with significant populations in states like Texas, Florida, and Georgia. Census reporting captures identities including African American and recent immigrant origins from countries like Nigeria, Haiti, Jamaica, and Ghana, reflected by notable individuals from those diasporas such as Wole Soyinka (diaspora connections) and cultural ties to festivals like Caribbean Carnival. Demographic shifts include suburbanization trends after World War II, patterns studied alongside data from the United States Census Bureau and academic centers like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Culture and Traditions

Cultural practices center on institutions like the Black church, historically represented by denominations such as the African Methodist Episcopal Church and figures like Richard Allen. Musical forms trace from spirituals and work songs to blues with Bessie Smith, jazz with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, gospel with Mahalia Jackson, rhythm and blues and hip hop pioneered by artists like James Brown, Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., and Jay-Z. Culinary traditions include soul food popularized by cooks like Edna Lewis and linked to regional cuisines such as Lowcountry cuisine. Community rituals include Juneteenth commemorations, Kwanzaa observances promoted by Maulana Karenga, and sporting achievements celebrated through figures like Jackie Robinson and Serena Williams.

Language and Dialects

Language varieties include African American Vernacular English (AAVE), influenced by creole and regional English forms and studied by linguists referencing works connected to scholars like William Labov. Code-switching between AAVE and General American English occurs in contexts involving media outlets such as BET and institutions like Howard University. Literary expressions employ dialect in works by authors including Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Richard Wright, while oral traditions persist in storytelling exemplified by Zora Neale Hurston.

Socioeconomic Status and Inequality

Socioeconomic disparities are investigated through measures from the United States Census Bureau and scholarship from institutions like the Brookings Institution and Economic Policy Institute. Historical discrimination via Redlining and housing policies like those enacted by the Federal Housing Administration contributed to wealth gaps studied alongside the GI Bill distribution. Disparities manifest in income, homeownership, and incarceration rates critiqued by activists and organizations including the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and scholars like Michelle Alexander whose work "The New Jim Crow" traces mass incarceration impacts.

Politics and Civic Engagement

Political mobilization includes voting blocs in presidential contests involving candidates such as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump, and organizations like the Congressional Black Caucus and Black Lives Matter movements. Historic organizers include Ella Baker and events like the Montgomery bus boycott and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where John Lewis and A. Philip Randolph played roles. Civic engagement extends to elected figures including Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Cory Booker, and local leadership in cities such as Baltimore and New Orleans.

Health and Education

Health disparities are documented by agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and examined in relation to conditions such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus prevalence. Educational attainment trends involve enrollment at historically Black institutions such as Howard University, Spelman College, and Morehouse College, and policy debates around No Child Left Behind Act and Every Student Succeeds Act. Public health responses have engaged community organizations like the Black Nurses Rock network and scholars from centers such as the Harvard School of Public Health.

Contributions to Arts and Sciences

Contributions span Nobel laureates and innovators: writers like Toni Morrison and Wole Soyinka (diaspora ties), scientists like George Washington Carver and Charles Drew, and inventors such as Granville T. Woods. In performing arts, figures include Paul Robeson, Denzel Washington, Maya Angelou, and choreographers like Katherine Dunham. In STEM, leadership includes researchers at institutions like NASA highlighted by pioneers such as Mae Jemison and historical figures like the Hidden Figures team including Katherine Johnson. Visual arts contributions feature painters like Jacob Lawrence and photographers like Gordon Parks.

Category:African American people