African Americans
W. E. B. Du Bois • Martin Luther King, Jr. • Edward Brooke Malcolm X • Rosa Parks • Sojourner Truth
Total population
African American 39,151,870[1] 13. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (duːˈbɔɪz ( February 23, 1868 August 27, 1963) was an American Civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader Edward William Brooke III (born October 26, 1919) is an American Politician and was the first African American to be elected Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little; May 19 1925 February 21 1965 also known as El-Hajj Malik El- Shabazz, was an African American Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4 1913 – October 24 2005 was an African American Civil rights activist whom the U Sojourner Truth (1797– November 26, 1883) was the self-given name from 1843 of Isabella Baumfree, an American abolitionist and Women's 1% of the total U. S. population Non-Hispanic Black 38,167,719[2] 12. 7% of the U. S. population Black Hispanic 984,151 0. 33% of the U. S. population
Regions with significant populations
United States (predominantly Southern) 38,662,569 [3][4]  Liberia (called Americo-Liberians) 150,000
Languages
American English, African American Vernacular English, minorities of Spanish, French, and indigenous African languages
Religions
Christianity (mostly Protestantism or Roman Catholicism), Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Atheism, and other religions
Related ethnic groups
African-Native Americans  • Native Americans view • talk • edit

African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire Americo-Liberians are a Liberian ethnicity of African American descent Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. African American Vernacular English ( AAVE) – also called African American English; less precisely Black English, Black Vernacular, French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people There are an estimated 2000 Languages spoken in Africa. About a hundred of these are widely used for inter-ethnic communication Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Atheism Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse ^[5] In the United States, the term is generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries Most African Americans are the descendants of captive Africans who survived the slavery era within the boundaries of the present United States, although some are — or are descended from — voluntary immigrants from Africa, the Caribbean, South America, or elsewhere. Slavery in the United States began soon after English colonists first settled Virginia in 1607 and lasted until the passage of the Thirteenth The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a ^[6] African Americans make up the single largest racial minority in the United States,^[7] though Hispanics compose the largest ethnic minority. The United States is a diverse country racially and ethnically. Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans of Hispanic or Latino descent, which comprises ancestry or origins in Hispanic America ^[8]

History

W. E. B. Du Bois, notable proponent of pan-Africanism, prominent intellectual leader and civil rights activist in the African-American community; co-founder of the Niagara Movement and the NAACP. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (duːˈbɔɪz ( February 23, 1868 August 27, 1963) was an American Civil rights activist Pan-Africanism is a Sociopolitical World view, and Philosophy, as well as a movement which seeks to unify both Native Africans and those of The Niagara Movement was a Civil rights organization founded in 1905 by a group led by W The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential Civil rights organizations

Main article: African American history

Africans arrived in British North America (the future United States) in 1619 as indentured servants. African American history is the portion of American history that specifically discusses the African American or Black American ethnic group in the United British North America consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The first Africans settled in Jamestown and for many years were similar in legal position to poor English people who traded several years labor in exchange for passage to America. Jamestown, located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony, was founded on May 14 1607 ^[9] Africans could legally raise crops and cattle to purchase their freedom. ^[10] They raised families, marrying other Africans and sometimes intermarrying with Native Americans or English settlers. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland ^[11] By the 1640s and 1650s, several African families owned farms around Jamestown and some became wealthy by colonial standards. The popular conception of a race-based slave system did not fully develop until the 1700s. By 1860, there were 3. 5 million enslaved Africans in the Southern United States due to the Atlantic slave trade, and another 500,000 Africans lived free across the country. The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The Atlantic Slave trade, also known as the transatlantic slave trade, was the trade of African people supplied to the Colonies of the New World ^[12] In 1863, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal The Emancipation Proclamation consists of two executive orders issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. The proclamation declared all slaves in states that had seceded from the Union were free. ^[13] Advancing Union troops enforced the proclamation with Texas being the last state to be emancipated in 1865. ^[14] While the post-war reconstruction era was initially a time of progress for African Americans, in the late 1890s, Southern states enacted Jim Crow laws to enforce racial segregation and disenfranchisement. The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enacted primarily but not exclusively in the Southern and border states of the United States between 1876 and 1965 ^[15] Most African Americans followed the Jim Crow laws and assumed a posture of humility and servility to prevent becoming victims of racially motivated violence. Humility, or being humble, is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important Ethnic violence (also known as ethnic terrorism or ethnically-motivated terrorism) refers to Violence that is predominantly framed rhetorically by To maintain self-esteem and dignity, middle-class African Americans created their own schools, churches, banks, social clubs, and other businesses. The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. Historically black colleges and universities ( HBCUs) are institutions of Higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention The term black church or African American church refers to predominantly African-American Christian churches that minister to predominantly black congregations A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money Social Club may also refer to a video game community service by Rockstar Games, see Rockstar Games Social Club. ^[16]

In the last decade of the nineteenth century, racially discriminatory laws and racial violence aimed at African Americans began to mushroom in the United States. These discriminatory acts included racial segregation – upheld by the United States Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896^[17] - which was legally mandated by southern states and nationwide at the local level of government, voter suppression or disenfranchisement in the southern states, denial of economic opportunity or resources nationwide, and private acts of violence and mass racial violence aimed at African Americans unhindered or encouraged by government authorities. The desperate conditions of African Americans in the South that sparked the Great Migration of the early 20th century,^[18] combined with a growing African-American intellectual and cultural elite in the Northern United States, led to a movement to fight violence and discrimination against African Americans that, like abolitionism before it, crossed racial lines. See also Second Great Migration (African American The Great Migration was the movement of approximately seven million African-Americans out of the The Northern United States is a large geographic region of the United States of America. Violence is the exertion of force so as to injure or abuse The word is used broadly to describe the destructive action of natural phenomena like Storms and Earthquakes Unlike most discrimination policies discrimination between, which is the discernment of qualities and recognition of the differences focused here discrimination against is Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies The Civil Rights Movement aimed at abolishing public and private acts of racial discrimination against African Americans between 1954 to 1968, particularly in the southern United States. See also Protests of 1968 Historically the civil rights movement was a concentrated period of time around the world of approximately twenty years (1960-1980 in List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that By 1966, the emergence of the Black Power movement, which lasted from 1966 to 1975, expanded upon the aims of the Civil Rights Movement to include racial dignity, economic and political self-sufficiency, and freedom from white authority. Black Power is a racially based Political slogan and a name for various associated ideologies See also Protests of 1968 Historically the civil rights movement was a concentrated period of time around the world of approximately twenty years (1960-1980 in The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the conditions which brought it into being are credited with putting pressure on President John F. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a large political rally that took place in Washington D Kennedy and then Lyndon B. Johnson that culminated in the passage the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that banned discrimination in public accommodations, employment, and labor unions. Origins The bill was introduced by President John F Kennedy in his civil rights speech of June 11 1963, in which he asked for legislation "giving Unlike most discrimination policies discrimination between, which is the discernment of qualities and recognition of the differences focused here discrimination against is A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming ^[19]

Demographics

African Americans as percent of population, 2000.

In 1790, when the first U.S. Census was taken, Africans (including slaves and free people) numbered about 760,000—about 19. The United States Census is a decennial Census mandated by the United States Constitution. 3% of the population. In 1860, at the start of the American Civil War, the African-American population increased to 4. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology 4 million, but the percentage rate dropped to 14% of the overall population of the country. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity The vast majority were slaves, with only 488,000 counted as "freemen". A freedman is a former slave who has been manumitted or emancipated. By 1900, the black population had doubled and reached 8. 8 million.

In 1910, about 90% of African Americans lived in the South, but large numbers began migrating north looking for better job opportunities and living conditions, and to escape Jim Crow laws and racial violence. South is one of Cardinal directions and is opposite to the North. The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enacted primarily but not exclusively in the Southern and border states of the United States between 1876 and 1965 The Great Migration, as it was called, spanned the 1890s to the 1970s. See also Second Great Migration (African American The Great Migration was the movement of approximately seven million African-Americans out of the From 1916 through the 1960s, more than 6 million black people moved north. This is about the direction for other uses see North (disambiguation. But in the 1970s and 1980s, that trend reversed, with more African Americans moving south to the Sunbelt than leaving it. The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the South and Southwest (the geographic southern United States

The following gives the African-American population in the United States over time, based on U. S. Census figures. (Numbers from years 1920 to 2000 are based on U. S. Census figures as given by the Time Almanac of 2005, p 377) The CIA World Factbook gives a 2006 figure of 12. The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the 9%^[20] Controversy has surrounded the "accurate" population count of African Americans for decades. The NAACP believed it was under counted intentionally to minimize the significance of the black population in order to reduce their political power base.

By 1990, the African-American population reached about 30 million and represented 12% of the U. S. population, roughly the same proportion as in 1900. ^[21] In current demographics, according to 2005 U. S. Census figures, some 39. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population 9 million African Americans live in the United States, comprising 13. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 8 percent of the total population. At the time of the 2000 Census, 54. 8 percent of African Americans lived in the South. The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive In that year, 17. 6 percent of African Americans lived in the Northeast and 18. The Northeast is a region of the United States. As defined by the U 7 percent in the Midwest, while only 8. 9 percent lived in the western states. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. The west does have a sizable black population in certain areas, however. California, the nation's most populous state, has the fifth largest African-American population, only behind New York, Texas, Georgia, and Florida. According to the 2000 Census, approximately 2. 05% of African Americans identified as Hispanic or Latino in origin. ^[7] Many of whom may be of Brazilian, Dominican, Cuban, Haitian, or other Latin American descent. Afro-Brazilian, or Black Brazilian, is the term used to racially categorize Brazilian citizens who are black or Multiracial The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with The term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of African ancestry and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: An Afro-Latin American (also Afro-Latino) is a Latin American person of at least partial Black African ancestry the term may also refer to historical

The only self-reported ancestral groups larger than African Americans are Irish and German Americans. ^[22] Due to the fact that many African Americans trace their ancestry to colonial American origins, some simply self-report as "American".

Almost 58 percent of African Americans lived in metropolitan areas in 2000. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central With over 2 million black residents, New York City had the largest black urban population in the United States in 2000, overall the city has a 28 percent black population. The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Chicago has the second largest black population, with almost 1. 6 million African Americans in its metropolitan area, representing about 18 percent of the total metropolitan population. Among cities of 100,000 or more, Gary, Indiana, had the highest percentage of black residents of any U. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union S. city in 2000, with 84 percent (though it should be noted that the 2006 Census estimate puts the city's population below 100,000. ) Nonetheless, Gary is followed closely by Detroit, Michigan, which was 82 percent African American. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. Other large cities with African-American majorities include New Orleans, Louisiana (67 percent), Baltimore, Maryland (64 percent) Atlanta, Georgia (61 percent), Memphis, Tennessee (61 percent), and Washington, D.C. (60 percent). New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D

The nation's most affluent county with an African-American majority is Prince George's County, Maryland, with a median income of $62,467. Prince George's County is located in the US state of Maryland located immediately north east and south of Washington D Other affluent predominantly African-American counties include Dekalb County in Georgia, and Charles City County in Virginia. DeKalb County is located in the US state of Georgia. In 2000 the population of the County was 686712 Charles City County is a county located in the US state &mdash officially " Commonwealth " &mdash of Virginia. Queens County, New York is the only county with a population of 65,000 or more where African Americans have a higher median household income than European Americans.

Contemporary issues

Main article: African American contemporary issues

African Americans have improved their social economic standing significantly since the Civil Rights Movement and recent decades have witnessed the expansion of a robust, African-American middle class across the United States. See also Protests of 1968 Historically the civil rights movement was a concentrated period of time around the world of approximately twenty years (1960-1980 in The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Unprecedented access to higher education and employment has been gained by African Americans in the post-civil rights era. Nevertheless, due in part to the legacy of slavery, racism and discrimination, African Americans as a group remain at a pronounced economic, educational and social disadvantage in many areas relative to European Americans. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that Unlike most discrimination policies discrimination between, which is the discernment of qualities and recognition of the differences focused here discrimination against is An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency Definition In the absence of agreement about its meaning the term "social" is used in many different senses referring among other things to attitudes Persistent social, economic and political issues for many African Americans include inadequate health care access and delivery; institutional racism and discrimination in housing, education, policing, criminal justice and employment; crime, poverty and substance abuse. Definition In the absence of agreement about its meaning the term "social" is used in many different senses referring among other things to attitudes An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Institutional Racism (or structural racism or systemic racism) refers to a form of Racism which occurs specifically in institutions such as public Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency Criminal justice is the system of practices and organizations used by national and local governments directed at maintaining Social control, deterring Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and Substance abuse is the overindulgence in and dependence of a Drug or other chemical leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's physical and mental health One of the most serious and long standing issues within African-American communities is poverty. Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and Poverty itself is a hardship as it is related to marital stress and dissolution, health problems, low educational attainment, deficits in psychological functioning, and crime. Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and ^[23] In 2004, 24. 7% of African-American families lived below the poverty level. ^[24]

Economic status

Oprah Winfrey, the richest African American of the 20th century. Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29 1954 often referred to simply as Oprah, is an American ^[25][26][27]

Economically, African-Americans have benefited from the advances made during the Civil Rights era, particularly among the educated, but not without the lingering effects of historical marginalization when considered as a whole. The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968 refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African The racial disparity in poverty rates has narrowed. The black middle class has grown substantially. The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. In 2000, 47% of African Americans owned their homes. The poverty rate among African Americans has dropped from 26. 5% in 1998 to 24. 7% in 2004. ^[24]

In 2004, African-American workers had the second-highest median earnings of American minority groups after Asian Americans, and African Americans had the highest level of male-female income parity of all ethnic groups in the United States. In Probability theory and Statistics, a median is described as the number separating the higher half of a sample a population or a Probability distribution Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian ^[28] Also, among American minority groups, only Asian Americans were more likely to hold white collar occupations (management, professional, and related fields),^[29] and African Americans were no more or less likely than European Americans to work in the service industry. Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian White-collar worker refers to a salaried professional or an educated Worker who performs semi-professional office administrative and sales coordination tasks as opposed to ^[30] In 2001, over half of African-American households of married couples earned $50,000 or more. ^[30] Although in the same year African Americans were over-represented among the nation's poor, this was directly related to the disproportionate percentage of African-American families headed by single women; such families are collectively poorer, regardless of ethnicity. ^[30]

By 2006, gender continued to be the primary factor in income level, with the median earnings of African-American men more than those black and non-black American women overall and in all educational levels. ^{[31][32][33][34][35]} At the same time, among American men, income disparities were significant; the median income of African-American men was approximately 76 cents for every dollar of their European American counterparts, although the gap narrowed somewhat with a rise in educational level. ^[36][31] Overall, the median earnings of African-American men were 72 cents for every dollar earned of their Asian American counterparts, and $1. 17 for every dollar earned by Hispanic men. ^[31][37][34] On the other hand by 2006, among American women with post-secondary education, African-American women have made significant advances; the median income of African-American women was more than those of their Asian-, European and Hispanic American counterparts with at least some college education. ^[32][38][33]

However, African Americans are still underrepresented in government and employment. In 1999, the median income of African-American families was $33,255 compared to $53,356 of European Americans. In times of economic hardship for the nation, African Americans suffer disproportionately from job loss and underemployment, with the black underclass being hardest hit. The phrase "last hired and first fired" is reflected in the Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment figures. The Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS) a unit of the United States Department of Labor, is the principal fact-finding agency for the U Nationwide, the September 2004 unemployment rate for blacks was 10. 3%, while their white counterparts were unemployed at the rate of 4. 7%.

The income gap between black and white families is also significant. In 2005, employed blacks earned only 65% of the wages of whites in comparable jobs, down from 82% in 1975. ^[24] Although rates of births to unwed mothers among both blacks and whites have risen since the 1950s, the rate of such births among African Americans is three times the rate of whites.

According to Forbes magazine's "wealthiest American" lists, a 2000 net worth of $800 million dollars made Oprah Winfrey the richest African American of the 20th century; by contrast, the net worth of the 20th century's richest American, Bill Gates, who is of European descent, briefly hit $100 billion in 1999. Forbes is an American Publishing and media company Its flagship publication Forbes magazine is published bi-weekly Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29 1954 often referred to simply as Oprah, is an American The United States of America —commonly referred to as the If you would like to experiment with Wikipedia please copy A European American (Euro-American is a person who resides in the United States and is either from Europe or is the descendant of European immigrants In Forbes' 2007 list, Gates' net worth decreased to $59 billion while Winfrey's increased to $2. 5 billion,^[39] making her the world's richest black person. ^[40][26] Winfrey is also the first African American to make Business Week's annual list of America's 50 greatest philanthropists. ^[41] BET founder Bob Johnson was also listed as a billionaire prior to an expensive divorce and has recently regained his fortune through a series of real estate investments. Although Forbes estimates his net worth at $1. 1 billion, which makes him the only male African-American billionaire, Winfrey remains the only African American wealthy enough to rank among the country's 400 richest people. ^[39]

Health

By 2003, sex had replaced race as the primary factor in life expectancy in the United States, with African-American females expected to live longer than European American males born in that year. The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets ^[42] In the same year, the gap in life expectancy between American whites (78. Life expectancy is the average number of years of life remaining at a given age 0) and blacks (72. 8) had decreased to 5. 2 years, reflecting a long term trend of this phenomenon. ^[42] By 2004, "the trend toward convergence in mortality figures across the major race groups also continued," with white-black gap in life expectancy dropping to 5 years. ^[43] The current life expectancy of African Americans as a group is comparable to those of other groups who live in countries with a high human development index. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP

At the same time, the life expectancy gap is affected by collectively lower access to quality medical care. Health care is the prevention treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, Nursing With no system of universal health care, access to medical care in the U. Universal health care is health care coverage which is extended to all eligible residents of a governmental region S. generally is mediated by income level and employment status. As a result, African Americans, who have a disproportionate occurrence of poverty and unemployment as a group, are more often uninsured than non Hispanic whites or Asians. ^[44] For a great many African Americans, healthcare delivery is limited, or nonexistent. And when they receive healthcare, they are more likely than others in the general population to receive substandard, even injurious medical care. ^[45] African Americans have a higher prevalence of some chronic health conditions. ^[46]

African Americans are the American ethnic group most affected by HIV and AIDS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or CDC) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services based in unincorporated It has been estimated that "184,991 adult and adolescent HIV infections [were] diagnosed during 2001-2005" (1). More than 51 percent occurred among blacks than any other race. Between the ages of 25-44 years 62 percent were African Americans. Dr. Robert Janssen (2007) states, "We have rates of HIV/AIDS among blacks in some American cities that are as high as in some countries in Africa". The rate for African Americans with HIV/AIDS in Washington D. C. is 3 percent, based on cases reported. In a New York Times Article, about 50 percent of AIDS-related deaths were African-American woman, which accounted for 25 percent of the city's population. In many cases there are a higher proportion of black people being tested than any other racial group. Dr. Janssen goes on by saying "We need to do a better job of encouraging African Americans to test. Studies show that approximately one in five black men between the ages 40 to 49 living in the city is HIV-positive, according to the TIMES. Research indicates that African Americans sexual behavior is no different than any other racial group. Dr. Janssen says "Racial groups tend to have sex with members of their own racial group. Sexual intercourse, in its biological sense is the act in which the male reproductive organ (in humans and other higher animals enters the female reproductive tract

Martin Luther King, Jr. (left) and Malcolm X (right) at the U. S. Capitol on March 26, 1964. Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little; May 19 1925 February 21 1965 also known as El-Hajj Malik El- Shabazz, was an African American Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar.

News media and coverage

News media coverage of African-American news, concerns or dilemmas is inadequate, some activists and academics contend. The news media refers to the section of the Mass media that focuses on presenting current News to the public ^[47][48][49] Activists also contend that the news media present distorted images of African-Americans. ^[50]

Politics and social issues

Collectively, African Americans are more involved in the American political process than other minority groups in the US, indicated by the highest level of voter registration and participation in elections among these groups in 2004. ^[51] African Americans collectively attain higher levels of education than immigrants to the United States. ^[51]

Crime, particularly in impoverished, urban communities, is a serious and ongoing issue in America. The African-American population in many urban areas are disproportionately poor, a factor which resonate in the nation's crime statistics for metropolitan areas.

Cultural influence in the United States

Two African American children.

From their earliest presence in North America, African Americans have contributed literature, art, agricultural skills, foods, clothing styles, music, language, social and technological innovation to American culture. Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter Art refers to a diverse range of Human activities creations and expressions that are appealing to the Senses or Emotions of a human individual Food is any substance usually composed primarily of Carbohydrates Fats water and/or Proteins that can be eaten or drunk by an Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them Definition In the absence of agreement about its meaning the term "social" is used in many different senses referring among other things to attitudes Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt The cultivation and use of many agricultural products in the U. S. , such as yams, peanuts, rice, okra, sorghum, grits, watermelon, indigo dyes, and cotton, can be traced to African and African-American influences. Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea (family Dioscoreaceae) The peanut, or Groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea) is a species in the Legume family Fabaceae native to South America, Mexico Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many Okra ( American English:, British English,) also known as lady's finger, bhindi ( Hindustani) and gumbo, is a Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, some of which are raised for grain and many of which are used as Fodder plants either cultivated or as part GRITS is a Christian hip hop group from Nashville, Tennessee. Watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus ( Thunb) Matsum & Nakai family Cucurbitaceae) refers to both Fruit and Plant of a vine-like (climber Indigo dye is Dye with a distinctive blue color (see Indigo) The chemical compound that constitutes the indigo dye is called indigotin Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp A couple of notable examples include George Washington Carver, who created 300 products from peanuts, 118 products from sweet potatoes, and 75 from pecans; and George Crum, who invented the potato chip in 1853. George Washington Carver (January 1864 – January 5 1943 was an African American Scientist, Botanist, Educator, and Inventor For the American composer see George Crumb. For the conductor and music coach see George Crum (musician George "Speck" Crum ^[52] African American music is one of the most pervasive African-American cultural influences in the United States today and is among the most dominant in mainstream popular music. African American music (also called black music) is an umbrella term given to a range of Music and Musical genres emerging from or influenced by the Hip hop, R&B, funk, rock and roll, soul, blues, and other contemporary American musical forms originated in black communities and evolved from other black forms of music, including blues, rag-time, jazz, and gospel music. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Ragtime (alternately spelled Rag-time) is an American musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918 Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to African American-derived musical forms have also influenced and been incorporated into virtually every other popular musical genre in the world, including country and techno. Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s African-American genres are the most important ethnic vernacular tradition in America, as they have developed independent of African traditions from which they arise more so than any other immigrant groups, including Europeans; make up the broadest and longest lasting range of styles in America; and have, historically, been more influential, interculturally, geographically, and economically, than other American vernacular traditions. ^[53]

African Americans have also had an important role in American dance. Bill T. Jones, a prominent modern choreographer and dancer, has included historical African-American themes in his work, particularly in the piece "Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin/The Promised Land". Bill T Jones (born February 15, 1952) is an American Artistic director, choreographer and Dancer. Likewise, Alvin Ailey's artistic work, including his "Revelations" based on his experience growing up as an African American in the South during the 1930s, has had a significant influence on modern dance. Alvin Ailey Jr ( January 5, 1931 &ndash December 1, 1989) was an American Modern dancer and Choreographer Another form of dance, Stepping, is an African-American tradition whose performance and competition has been formalized through the traditionally black fraternities and sororities at universities. Stepping or step-dancing is a form of percussive dance in which the participant's entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture

Many African-American authors have written stories, poems, and essays influenced by their experiences as African Americans. African American literature is a major genre in American literature. African American literature is the body of Literature produced in the United States by writers of African descent Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter Famous examples include Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison, and Maya Angelou. Langston Hughes (February 1 1902 &ndash May 22 1967 was an American Poet, Novelist Playwright, Short story writer and Columnist James Arthur Baldwin ( August 2, 1924 – November 30, 1987) was an American Novelist, Writer, Playwright Richard Wright may refer to Richard Wright (musician (1943–2008 also known as Rick Wright founding member of Pink Floyd Richard B Zora Neale Hurston ( January 7, 1891 &ndash January 28, 1960) was an American folklorist and author during the time Ralph Waldo Ellison ( March 1, 1914 &ndash April 16, 1994) was a Scholar and Writer. Toni Morrison (born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18 1931 is a Nobel Prize -winning American author editor and professor Maya Angelou (ˈmaɪə ˈændʒəloʊ (born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928) is an American Poet, Memoirist

African-American inventors have created many widely used devices in the world and have contributed to international innovation. An inventor is a person who creates or discovers a new method form device or other useful means The term innovation means a new way of doing something It may refer to incremental radical and revolutionary changes in thinking products processes or organisations Norbert Rillieux created the technique for converting sugar cane juice into white sugar crystals. Norbert Rillieux (March 17 1806 &ndash October 8 1894 an American Inventor and Engineer, is most noted for his invention of the Multiple-effect evaporator Moreover, Rillieux left Louisiana in 1854 and went to France, where he spent ten years working with the Champollions deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics from the Rosetta Stone. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Egyptian hieroglyphs (ˈhaɪərəʊɡlɪf from Greek grc-Grek ἱερογλύφος " sacred carving " also hieroglyphic = grc-Grek The Rosetta Stone is an Ancient Egyptian artifact (حجر رشيد in Arabic which was instrumental in advancing modern understanding of hieroglyphic writing Most slave inventors were nameless, such as the slave owned by the Confederate President Jefferson Davis who designed the ship propeller used by the Confederate navy. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861

Following the Civil War, the growth of industry in the United States was tremendous, and much of this was made possible with inventions by ethnic minorities. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The United States of America —commonly referred to as the By 1913 over 1,000 inventions were patented by black Americans. Among the most notable inventors were Jan Matzeliger, who developed the first machine to mass-produce shoes, and Elijah McCoy, who invented automatic lubrication devices for steam engines. Elijah J McCoy ( May 2, 1843 &ndash October 10, 1929) was an Afro-Canadian Inventor and engineer and is known for his Granville Woods had 35 patents to improve electric railway systems, including the first system to allow moving trains to communicate. Granville T Woods ( April 23, 1856  &ndash January 30, 1910) was an African American Inventor. He even sued Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison for stealing his patents and won both cases. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Garrett Morgan developed the first automatic traffic signal and gas mask. Garrett Augustus Morgan Sr (1877 – 1963 was an African American inventor who originated a respiratory protective hood (similar to the modern Gas masks, invented ^[54]

Lewis Latimer created an inexpensive cotton-thread filament, which made electric light bulbs practical because Edison's original light bulb only burned for a few minutes. Lewis Howard Latimer ( September 4, 1848 &ndash December 11, 1928) was an African American Inventor and draftsman More recent inventors include McKinley Jones, who invented the movable refrigeration unit for food transport in trucks and trains. Lloyd Quarterman worked with six other black scientists on the creation of the atomic bomb (code named the Manhattan Project. The World War II Manhattan Project developed the first Nuclear weapon (atomic bomb ) Quarterman also helped develop the first nuclear reactor, which was used in the atomically powered submarine called the Nautilus. A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability ^[54]

A few other notable examples include the first successful open heart surgery, performed by Dr. Cardiac surgery is Surgery on the Heart and/or Great vessels performed by a Cardiac surgeon. Daniel Hale Williams, the conceptualization and establishment of blood banks around the world by Dr. Daniel Hale Williams ( January 18, 1856 - August 4, 1931) was the first African-American heart surgeon. Charles Drew, and the air conditioner, patented by Frederick M. Jones. Dr Charles Richard Drew ( June 3, 1904 – April 1, 1950) was an American Physician and medical researcher Frederick McKinley Jones ( May 17, 1893 - February 21, 1961) was an African-American inventor who Patented several products Dr. Mark Dean holds three of the original nine patents on the computer on which all PCs are based. For the former English footballer see Mark Dean (footballer Mark Dean (born March 2, 1957) is an Inventor and More current contributors include Otis Boykin, whose inventions included several novel methods for manufacturing electrical components that found used in applications such as guided missile systems and computers, and Colonel Frederick Gregory, who was not only the first black astronaut pilot but the person who redesigned the cockpits for the last three space shuttles. Otis Frank Boykin (1920-1982 was an African American inventor and engineer Frederick Drew Gregory (Colonel USAF Ret is a former NASA Astronaut and former NASA Deputy Administrator An astronaut or cosmonaut (космона́вт) is a person trained Gregory was also on the team that pioneered the microwave instrumentation landing system. In 2000, Bendix Aircraft Company began a worldwide promotion of this microwave instrumentation landing system. ^[54]

Political legacy

Barack Obama, the junior Senator from Illinois and presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee for the 2008 election. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. In Politics, the presumptive nominee is a political Candidate who is all but assured of his or her party's Nomination, but has not yet been formally nominated The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive

African-Americans have fought in every war in the history of the United States. The Military history of African Americans spans from the arrival of the first black slaves during the colonial history of the United The military history of the United States spans a period of over two centuries

The gains made by African Americans in the Civil Rights and Black Power movements not only obtained certain rights for African Americans, but changed American society in far-reaching and fundamentally important ways. The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968 refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African Prior to the 1950s, Americans were still living in the shadow of slavery and Jim Crow. The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enacted primarily but not exclusively in the Southern and border states of the United States between 1876 and 1965 In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., African Americans and their supporters challenged the nation to "rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed that all men are created equal. Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader . . . "^[55]

The Civil Rights Movement marked a sea-change in American social, political, economic and civic life. See also Protests of 1968 Historically the civil rights movement was a concentrated period of time around the world of approximately twenty years (1960-1980 in It brought with it boycotts, sit-ins, demonstrations, court battles, bombings and other violence; prompted worldwide media coverage and intense public debate; forged enduring civic, economic and religious alliances; disrupted and realigned the nation's two major political parties. A boycott is a form of Consumer activism involving the act of voluntarily abstaining from using buying or dealing with someone or some other organization as an expression of A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more persons nonviolently occupying an area for a Protest, often to promote political social A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral Over time it has changed in fundamental ways the manner in which blacks and whites interact with and relate to one another. The movement resulted in the removal of codified, de jure racial segregation and discrimination from American life and law, and heavily influenced the civil and social liberties that many Americans of varied cultural backgrounds expect for themselves. Reflecting on the success of the civil rights movement, Al Sharpton of the National Action Network said, "I think that part of the problem with a lot of civil rights leaders is that this is the first generation that actually lived to be gray. Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton Jr (born October 3 1954 is an American Baptist minister political and civil rights / Social justice National Action Network is a not-for-profit Civil rights organization founded by the Reverend Al Sharpton in New York City, New York in early 1991 What do gray civil rights leaders do? Because in the era before us, they were all dead by now. "^[56]

In 2008, Democratic Sen. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Barack Obama became the first African American to become the presumptive presidential nominee of a major American political party. In Politics, the presumptive nominee is a political Candidate who is all but assured of his or her party's Nomination, but has not yet been formally nominated

The term "African American"

Political overtones

Jesse Jackson- an African-American politician, professional civil rights activist, and Baptist minister

The term African American carries important political overtones. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr (born October 8 1941 is an American Civil rights activist and Baptist minister. A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person Activism, in a general sense can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs Earlier terms used to identify Americans of African ancestry were conferred upon the group by Americans of European ancestry and were included in the wording of various laws and legal decisions which became tools of white supremacy and oppression. Oppression is the act of using power to empower and/or privilege a group at the expense of disempowering marginalizing silencing and subordinating another group There developed among blacks in America a growing desire for a term of their own choosing.

With the political consciousness that emerged from the political and social ferment of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the term Negro fell into disfavor among many blacks. It had taken on a moderate, accommodationist, even Uncle Tom, connotation. Uncle Tom is a Pejorative for a black person who is perceived by others as behaving in a subservient manner to White American authority figures or In this period, a growing number of blacks in the United States, particularly African-American youth, celebrated their blackness and their historical and cultural ties with the African continent. The Black Power movement defiantly embraced Black as a group identifier. It was a term social leaders themselves had repudiated only two decades earlier and a term often associated in English with things negative and undesirable, but they proclaimed, "Black is beautiful". Black is beautiful is a cultural movement which began in the United States of America, beginning in the 1960s

In this same period, a smaller number of people favored Afro-American. In the 1980s the term African American was advanced on the model of, for example, German American. German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry Jesse Jackson popularized the term, and it was quickly adopted by major media. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr (born October 8 1941 is an American Civil rights activist and Baptist minister. Many blacks in America expressed a preference for the term, as it was formed in the same way as names for others of the many ethnic groups. Some argued further that, because of the historical circumstances surrounding the capture, enslavement and systematic attempts to de-Africanize blacks in the United States under chattel slavery, most African Americans are unable to trace their ancestry to a specific African nation; hence, the entire continent serves as a geographic marker. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another

For many, African American is more than a name expressive of cultural and historical roots. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology The term expresses pride in Africa and a sense of kinship and solidarity with others of the African diaspora— an embracing of the notion of pan-Africanism as earlier enunciated by prominent African thinkers such as Marcus Garvey, W. E. B. Du Bois, Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and, later, George Padmore. The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world - predominantly to the Americas, then later to Europe, the Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr, National Hero of Jamaica (17 August 1887 10 June 1940 was a Publisher, Journalist, Entrepreneur, Black nationalist William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (duːˈbɔɪz ( February 23, 1868 August 27, 1963) was an American Civil rights activist Haile Selassie I ( Ge'ez: am ኃይለ፡ ሥላሴ "Power of the Trinity " 23 July 1892 &ndash 27 August 1975 born Tafari Makonnen, was NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page George Padmore (1902&ndash September 23, 1959) born Malcolm Ivan Meredith Nurse, was a Trinidadian who became a leading Pan-Africanist

Who is African American?

African American topics
African American history
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Since 1977, the United States officially categorized black people (revised to black or African American in 1997) are classified as A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. African American history is the portion of American history that specifically discusses the African American or Black American ethnic group in the United The Atlantic Slave trade, also known as the transatlantic slave trade, was the trade of African people supplied to the Colonies of the New World The word Maafa (also known as the African Holocaust or Holocaust of Enslavement) is derived from a Swahili word meaning disaster terrible occurrence or Slavery in the United States began soon after English colonists first settled Virginia in 1607 and lasted until the passage of the Thirteenth The Military history of African Americans spans from the arrival of the first black slaves during the colonial history of the United The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enacted primarily but not exclusively in the Southern and border states of the United States between 1876 and 1965 Redlining is the practice of denying or increasing the cost of services such as Banking, Insurance, access to jobs access to health care or even Supermarkets The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968 refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African Afrocentrism or Afrocentricity is a World view that emphasizes the importance of African people in culture philosophy and history Reparations for Slavery is a proposal by some in the United States that some type of compensation should be provided to the descendants of enslaved people in African American culture in the United States refers to the cultural contributions of African ethnic groups to the culture of the United States either as part of or distinct from African American studies is a subset of Black studies or Africana studies. African American neighborhoods or black neighborhoods are types of Ethnic enclaves found in many cities in the United States. Historically black colleges and universities ( HBCUs) are institutions of Higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday celebrated primarily in the United States, honoring African-American heritage African American art is a broad term describing the visual arts of the American black community This is an incomplete list of museums which can or may never satisfy any objective standard for completeness African American dances in the vernacular tradition (academically known as "African American vernacular dance" are those dances which have developed within African African American literature is the body of Literature produced in the United States by writers of African descent African American music (also called black music) is an umbrella term given to a range of Music and Musical genres emerging from or influenced by the The term black church or African American church refers to predominantly African-American Christian churches that minister to predominantly black congregations This theology maintains that African Americans must be liberated from multiple forms of bondage — social political economic and religious Black theology refers to a variety of Christian theologies which has as its base in the The Doctrine of Father Divine is the teachings of the late Father Divine (d The Nation of Islam ( NOI) (أمة الإسلام Ummah al-Islāmu) is a group founded in Detroit, Michigan, Black Hebrew Israelites (also Black Hebrews, African Hebrew Israelites, and Hebrew Israelites) are groups of people of Black African ancestry Vodou ( Anglicized: Voodoo) or Vaudoo is a family of New World syncretistic religions primarily based on the faiths of the Hoodoo is a form of predominantly African-American traditional folk magic. Santería, also known as La Regla de Lukumi (Lukumi's Rule and The Way of the Saints is an Afro-Cuban religious tradition derived from traditional beliefs Pan-Africanism is a Sociopolitical World view, and Philosophy, as well as a movement which seeks to unify both Native Africans and those of Black nationalism (BN advocates a racial definition (or redefinition of black national identity as opposed to Multiculturalism. Black Power is a racially based Political slogan and a name for various associated ideologies Black Capitalism is a movement among African Americans to build wealth through the ownership and development of businesses Black conservatism is an international political and social movement rooted in communities of African descent that aligns largely with the conservative movement Following the collapse of Reconstruction, African Americans created a broad-based independent political movement in the South black populism that influence all The African American left tends to support leftist positions on social issues and an expansive state that aims at bringing about equality of outcome between the African The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxist / Maoist African-American organization established Garveyism is an aspect of Black Nationalism which takes its source from the works words and deeds of UNIA-ACL founder Marcus Garvey. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential Civil rights organizations The Southern Christian Leadership Conference ( SCLC) is an American Civil rights organization The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (or SNCC, pronounced "snick" was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement The National Urban League ( NUL) formerly known as the National League of black men and women, is a Civil rights organization based in New York City The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH is a non-profit organization founded in Chicago, Illinois, on September 9, The United Negro College Fund ( UNCF) is a Fairfax, Virginia -based American philanthropic organization that fundraises College tuition The National Black Chamber of Commerce was incorporated in 1993 by Harry Alford who in 2007 continues as CEO History The National Pan-Hellenic Council was established in an age when Racial segregation and disenfranchisement plagued African Americans, the rise of each The Links Incorporated is an exclusive non-profit organization based upon the ideals of combining friendship and community service The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW is a Non-profit organization with the mission to advance the opportunities and the quality of life for African American women their Part of the History of baseball in the United States series The Negro leagues were American professional Baseball leagues History The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, founded on the campus of Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in 1912 is the oldest African-American Conference sports Conference member schools Current members Former members Conference Stadia Championships The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC is a Collegiate athletic conference of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs in the Southeastern "Southwestern Conference" redirects here For the former major conference in Texas and Arkansas see Southwest Conference; for the Ohio High School Conference English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The Gullah language (Sea Island Creole English Geechee is a Creole language spoken by the Gullah people (also called "Geechees" an African Louisiana Creole is a French Creole language spoken by the mixed Louisiana Creole people of the state of Louisiana. African American Vernacular English ( AAVE) – also called African American English; less precisely Black English, Black Vernacular, Notable African-Americans or Black Americans For people from current African countries see lists for individual countries List of first African-American mayors for most mayor listings African Americans are a demographic minority in the United States. This is a list of landmark legislation, court decisions, executive orders and proclamations in the United States significantly affecting African Americans This is an alphabetical list of African-American-related topics: A African American African American culture This is a list of articles that are related to African and black people ^[5] Other Federal offices, such as the United States Census Bureau and the adheres to the OMB standards on race in its data collection and tabulations efforts. The United States Census is a decennial Census mandated by the United States Constitution. ^[57] The U. S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation also categorizes black or African-American people as "A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa" through racial categories used in the UCR Program adopted from the Statistical Policy Handbook (1978) and published by the Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards, U. S. Department of Commerce derived from the 1977 OMB classification. ^[58]

Due in part to a centuries-old history within the United States, historical experiences pre- and post-slavery, and migrations throughout North America, the vast majority of contemporary African Americans possess varying degrees of admixture with European and Native American ancestry. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[59][60]

Some courts have called a person black if the person had any known African ancestry. It became known as the one-drop rule, meaning that a single drop of "black blood" makes a person "black". The one-drop rule is a historical colloquial term in the United States that holds that a person with any trace of African ancestry is considered black unless Some courts have called it the traceable amount rule, and anthropologists used to call it the hypodescent rule, meaning that racially mixed persons were assigned the status of the subordinate group. Hypodescent is the practice of determining the lineage of a child of Mixed-race ancestry by assigning the child the race of his or her more socially subordinate parent Prior to the one-drop rule, different states had different laws regarding color; in Virginia, for example, a person was legally black if he or she had at least one-sixteenth black ancestry. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state The one-drop rule was implemented by states in the southern United States during the early to mid-1880s. For African Americans, the one-drop system of pigmentocracy was a significant factor in ethnic solidarity. A pigmentocracy is a group-based Social hierarchy based largely on Human skin color, spanning across ethnic religious gender and socio-economic groups African Americans generally shared a common lot in society and, therefore, common cause — regardless of their multiracial admixture or social and economic stratification. The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from different races.

In the 1980s, parents of mixed-race children began to organize and lobby for the addition of a more inclusive term of racial designation that would reflect the heritage of their children. In recent decades, the multicultural climate of the United States has continued to expand. The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of racial, cultural and ethnic diversity within the Demographics of a specified Although the terms mixed-race, biracial, and multiracial are increasingly used, it remains common for those who possess any visible traits of black heritage to identify or be identified solely as blacks or African Americans. The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from different races. As well, it is very common in the United States for people of mixed ancestry possessing any recent black heritage to self-identify demographically as African American while acknowledging both their African-American and other cultural heritages socially.

For example, 55% of European Americans classify Senator Barack Obama as biracial when they are told that he has a white mother, while 66% of African Americans consider him black. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives ^[61] Obama describes himself as black^[62] and African American,^[63] using both terms interchangeably,^[63] and is generally considered to be African American. ^[64]

Due to continued intermarriage between African-Americans and Native Americans, some people who are considered African American can claim Native heritage, although since the 1980s many Native groups refuse to recognize those claims. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States ^[65]

Terms no longer in common use

The terms mulatto and colored were widely used until the second quarter of the 20th century, when they were considered outmoded and generally gave way to the use of negro. Mulatto is a term used to describe a person with one white parent and one black parent or a person whose Ancestry is a mixture of black and white This article is about the term used for African-Americans You might be looking for Coloured people or Color (disambiguation. By the 1940s, the term commonly was capitalized, but by the mid 1960s, it had acquired negative connotations. Today, the term is considered inappropriate and is now often used as a pejorative. Colored and Negro, now largely defunct, survive in certain historical organizations such as the United Negro College Fund, the National Council of Negro Women, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The United Negro College Fund ( UNCF) is a Fairfax, Virginia -based American philanthropic organization that fundraises College tuition The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW is a Non-profit organization with the mission to advance the opportunities and the quality of life for African American women their The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential Civil rights organizations

Negroid was a term used by anthropologists first in the 18th century to describe some indigenous Africans and their descendants throughout the African diaspora. See also Black people Negroid is an Adjective derived from the term Negro and refers to a presumed race of people mostly from The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world - predominantly to the Americas, then later to Europe, the As with most descriptors of race based on inconsistent, unscientific phenotypical standards, the term is controversial and imprecise. Growing numbers of blacks have substituted the term Africoid, which, unlike Negroid, encompasses the phenotypes of all indigenous peoples of Africa. Africoid peoples are human populations of varying phenotypes who are considered black regardless of recent African ancestry The indigenous peoples of Africa are those Peoples of Africa whose way of life, attachment or claims to particular lands and social and political standing in relation ^[66]

Greatest African Americans

In 2005 the Discovery Channel and America Online conducted a poll in which Americans nominated and elected the Greatest Americans of all time. Discovery Channel is an American Satellite and Cable TV channel (also delivered via IPTV, Terrestrial television and The Greatest American was a four-part television series hosted by Matt Lauer in which millions of Americans nominated and elected who they thought was the greatest person Millions of votes were cast and the final list of the 100 Greatest Americans contained 17 African Americans. ^[67]

The following four African Americans were considered greatest by the voting public:

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Oprah Winfrey

Muhammad Ali

Rosa Parks

The following African Americans were also among the 100 Greatest Americans:^[67]

Maya Angelou	Ray Charles	Bill Cosby	Frederick Douglass
Michael Jackson	Michael Jordan	Malcolm X	Barack Obama
Colin Powell	Condoleezza Rice	Jackie Robinson	Harriet Tubman

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

• Jack Salzman, ed. , Encyclopedia of Afro-American culture and history, New York, NY  : Macmillan Library Reference USA, 1996
• African American Lives, edited by Henry L. Gates, Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Oxford University Press, 2004 - more than 600 biographies
• From Slavery to Freedom. A History of African Americans, by John Hope Franklin, Alfred Moss, McGraw-Hill Education 2001, standard work, first edition in 1947
• Black Women in America - An Historical Encyclopedia, Darlene Clark Hine (Editor), Rosalyn Terborg-Penn (Editor), Elsa Barkley Brown (Editor), Paperback Edition, Indiana University Press 2005
• van Sertima, Ivan "They Came Before Columbus"
• "The Politicization of Changing Terms of Self Reference Among American Slave Descendants", American Speech, v 66, no. John Hope Franklin (born January 2, 1915) is a United States historian and past president of the American Historical 2, Summer 1991, p. 133-46

External links

• Richard Thompson Ford Name Games, Slate, September 16, 2004. Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Article discussing the problems of defining African American.
• "Of Arms & the Law: Don Kates on Afro-American Homicide Rates"
• Scientific American Magazine (June 2006) Trace Elements Reconnecting African-Americans to an ancestral past.
• African American Business
• "The Definition of Political Absurdity", San Francisco Chronicle, March 2, 2007. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Editorial discussing prominent Americans arguing whether presidential candidate Barack Obama qualifies as "black enough. "
• African American archaeology in Sacramento, California pdf
• African American archaeology in Oakland, California - See Part III, Chap 10.
• Melodies by African American composers, including historical notes and biographical sketches