Editing African Americans (section)

==Demographics==
{{Further|Historical racial and ethnic demographics of the United States#Black population as a percentage of the total population by U.S. region and state (1790–2010)|List of U.S. communities with African-American majority populations|List of U.S. counties with African-American majority populations|List of U.S. states by African-American population}}
[[File:Black Americans population pyramid in 2020.svg|thumb|Black Americans (alone) population pyramid in 2020]]
[[File:African Americans by state.svg|thumb|<div style="text-align: center">Proportion of African Americans in each US state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico as of the 2020 United States Census</div>]]
[[File:Black Americans by county.png|thumb|<div style="text-align: center">Proportion of [[Black Americans]] (alone or in combination) in each county of the [[List of states and territories of the United States|fifty states]], [[Washington, D.C.]], and [[Puerto Rico]] as of the [[2020 United States census]]</div>]]
[[File:2020_Census - Majority-Black Counties in the United States.png|thumb|<div style="text-align: center">[[List of majority-Black counties in the United States|Majority Black American counties]] in the United States according to the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]</div>]]
[[File:Absenceblacks.png|thumb|US census map indicating US counties with fewer than 25 Black or African American inhabitants]]
[[File:Percentage of African American population living in the American South.png|thumb|Graph showing the percentage of the African American population living in the American South, 1790–2010. Note [[Great Migration (African American)|the major declines between 1910 and 1940]] and [[Second Great Migration (African American)|1940–1970]], and [[New Great Migration|the reverse trend post-1970]]. Nonetheless, the absolute majority of the African American population has always lived in the American South.]]

In 1790, when the [[1790 United States census|first US census]] was taken, Africans (including slaves and free people) numbered about 760,000—about 19.3% of the population. In 1860, at the start of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the African American population had increased to 4.4 million, but the percentage rate dropped to 14% of the overall population of the country. The vast majority were slaves, with only 488,000 counted as "[[Freedman|freemen]]". By 1900, the Black population had doubled and reached 8.8 million.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/wepeople/we-1.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/wepeople/we-1.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title= We the Americans: Blacks|website= US Bureau of Census|access-date= May 3, 2019}}</ref>

In 1910, about 90% of African Americans lived in the South. Large numbers began migrating north looking for better job opportunities and living conditions, and to escape [[Jim Crow laws]] and racial violence. The [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]], as it was called, spanned the 1890s to the 1970s. From 1916 through the 1960s, more than 6 million [[Black people]] moved north. But in the 1970s and 1980s, [[New Great Migration|that trend reversed]], with more African Americans moving south to the [[Sun Belt]] than leaving it.<ref>{{cite book|title=Time: Almanac 2005|publisher=Time Incorporated Home Entertainment|page=[https://archive.org/details/timealmanac2006w00brun/page/377 377]|url=https://archive.org/details/timealmanac2006w00brun|url-access=registration|date=December 7, 2004|isbn=9781932994414}}</ref>

The African American population in the United States declined over time as a percentage of the total population until 1930, and has been rising since then:
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:85%;"
|+ African Americans in the United States<ref>This table gives the African American population in the United States over time, based on US census figures. (Numbers from years 1920 to 2000 are based on US census figures as given by the ''Time Almanac'' of 2005, p. 377.)</ref>
! Year||Number||% of total<br />population||% Change<br />(10 yr)||Slaves||% in slavery
|-
|1790||757,208||19.3% (highest)||&nbsp;–||697,681||92%
|-
|1800||1,002,037||18.9%||32.3%||893,602||89%
|-
|1810||1,377,808||19.0%||37.5%||1,191,362||86%
|-
|1820||1,771,656||18.4%||28.6%||1,538,022||87%
|-
|1830||2,328,642||18.1%||31.4%||2,009,043||86%
|-
|1840||2,873,648||16.8%||23.4%||2,487,355||87%
|-
|1850||3,638,808||15.7%||26.6%||3,204,287||88%
|-
|1860||4,441,830||14.1%||22.1%||3,953,731||89%
|-
|1870||4,880,009||12.7%||9.9%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|1880||6,580,793||13.1%||34.9%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|1890||7,488,788||11.9%||13.8%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|1900||8,833,994||11.6%||18.0%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|1910||9,827,763||10.7%||11.2%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|1920||10.5&nbsp;million||9.9%||6.8%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|1930||11.9&nbsp;million||9.7% (lowest)||13%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|1940||12.9&nbsp;million||9.8%||8.4%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|1950||15.0&nbsp;million||10.0%||16%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|1960||18.9&nbsp;million||10.5%||26%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|1970||22.6&nbsp;million||11.1%||20%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|1980||26.5&nbsp;million||11.7%||17%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|1990||30.0&nbsp;million||12.1%||13%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|2000||34.6&nbsp;million||12.3%||15%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|2010||38.9&nbsp;million||12.6%||12%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|-
|2020||41.1&nbsp;million||12.4%||5.6%||&nbsp;–||&nbsp;–
|}

By 1990, the African American population reached about 30 million and represented 12% of the US population, roughly the same proportion as in 1900.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aap/timelin2.html|title=Time Line of African American History, 1881–1900|publisher=Lcweb2.loc.gov|date=n.d.|access-date=April 20, 2012|archive-date=May 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120519110018/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aap/timelin2.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align: right; font-size: 95%;"
|+ African American groups in the USA
! rowspan="2" |Years
!colspan=2|Non-Hispanic Blacks
!colspan=2|[[Black Hispanic and Latino Americans|Black Hispanics]]
! rowspan="2" |Total
|-
! #
! %
! #
! %
|-
|2020
| 39,940,338
| 12.1%
| 1,163,862
| 0.3%
| 41,104,200
|-
|}

At the time of the [[2000 United States census|2000 US census]], 54.8% of African Americans lived in the [[Southern United States|South]]. In that year, 17.6% of African Americans lived in the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]] and 18.7% in the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]], while only 8.9% lived in the [[Western United States|Western]] states. 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 [[Black Hispanic and Latino Americans|African Americans identified as Hispanic or Latino in origin]],<ref name="tthqvu">{{cite web |author=American FactFinder, United States Census Bureau |title=United States – QT-P4. Race, Combinations of Two Races, and Not Hispanic or Latino: 2000 |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_QTP4&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-redoLog=false |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606042749/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_QTP4&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-redoLog=false |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |access-date=January 20, 2011 |publisher=}}</ref> many of whom may be of [[Afro-Brazilians|Brazilian]], [[Afro–Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]], [[Dominican Americans|Dominican]], [[Afro-Cubans|Cuban]], [[Haitian Americans|Haitian]], or other [[Afro–Latin Americans|Latin American]] descent. The only self-reported ''ancestral'' groups larger than African Americans are the [[Irish Americans|Irish]] and [[German Americans|Germans]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf|title=c2kbr01-2.qxd|access-date=January 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040920132346/https://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf|archive-date=September 20, 2004}}</ref>
[[File:Harlem Street rehearsal (125th street).jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[Marching band|Band rehearsal]] on [[125th Street (Manhattan)|125th Street]] in [[Harlem]], the historic epicenter of African American culture. [[New York City]] is home by a significant margin to the world's largest [[Black people|Black]] population of any city outside [[Africa]], at over 2.2 million. [[African immigration to the United States|African immigration to New York City]] is now driving the growth of the city's Black population.<ref name=AfricanMigrationNYC>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/nyregion/west-african-immigrants-nyc.html|title=African and Invisible: The Other New York Migrant Crisis|author=Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 13, 2023|access-date=January 26, 2023|archive-date=January 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125220924/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/nyregion/west-african-immigrants-nyc.html|url-status=live}}</ref>]]

According to the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], nearly 3% of people who self-identified as Black had recent ancestors who immigrated from another country. Self-reported [[West Indian Americans|non-Hispanic Black immigrants from the Caribbean]], mostly from Jamaica and Haiti, represented 0.9% of the US population, at 2.6 million.<ref name="factfinder2.census.gov">[https://archive.today/20150118121537/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_10_1YR_B04003&prodType=table "Total Ancestry Reported"], American FactFinder.</ref> Self-reported Black immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa also represented 0.9%, at about 2.8 million.<ref name="factfinder2.census.gov"/> Additionally, self-identified [[Black Hispanic and Latino Americans|Black Hispanics]] represented 0.4% of the United States population, at about 1.2 million people, largely found within the Puerto Rican and Dominican communities.<ref>[https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-04.pdf "The Hispanic Population: 2010"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127044304/https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-04.pdf |date=January 27, 2018 }}, 2010 Census Briefs. U.S. Census Bureau, May 2011.</ref> Self-reported Black immigrants hailing from other countries in the Americas, such as Brazil and Canada, as well as several European countries, represented less than 0.1% of the population. Mixed-race Hispanic and non-Hispanic Americans who identified as being part Black, represented 0.9% of the population. Of the 12.6% of United States residents who identified as Black, around 10.3% were "native Black American" or ethnic African Americans, who are direct descendants of West/Central Africans brought to the US as slaves. These individuals make up well over 80% of all Blacks in the country. When including [[Multiracial Americans|people of mixed-race origin]], about 13.5% of the US population self-identified as Black or "mixed with Black".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_10_1YR_DP05&prodType=table|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212055927/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_10_1YR_DP05&prodType=table|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 12, 2020|title=American FactFinder – Results|website=factfinder2.census.gov}}</ref> However, according to the US Census Bureau, evidence from the 2000 census indicates that many African and Caribbean immigrant ethnic groups do not identify as "Black, African Am., or Negro". Instead, they wrote in their own respective ethnic groups in the "Some Other Race" write-in entry. As a result, the census bureau devised a new, separate "African American" ethnic group category in 2010 for ethnic African Americans.<ref name="Tcpms">{{cite web|title=2010 Census Planning Memoranda Series|url=https://www.census.gov/2010census/pdf/2010_Census_Race_HO_AQE.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/2010census/pdf/2010_Census_Race_HO_AQE.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 3, 2014}}</ref> [[Nigerian Americans]] and [[Ethiopian Americans]] were the most reported sub-Saharan African groups in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Over Half of Those Who Reported Their Race as Black or African American Identified as African American, Jamaican or Haitian |url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/10/2020-census-dhc-a-black-population.html |accessdate=March 3, 2025 |website=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

In the 2020 census, the African American population was undercounted at an estimated rate of 3.3%, up from 2.1% in 2010.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/10/2020-census-undercount-black-people-hispanics-native-americans-00016138 | first=Samuel | last=Benson | title=Census undercounted Black people, Hispanics and Native Americans in 2020 | website=[[Politico]] | date=March 10, 2022 | access-date=July 30, 2022 | archive-date=July 30, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730024457/https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/10/2020-census-undercount-black-people-hispanics-native-americans-00016138 | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Proportion in each county===
<gallery mode="packed" caption="African American (Alone) population distribution over time">
File:Black Americans 1790 County.png|1790
File:Black Americans 1800 County.png|1800
File:Black American 1810 County.png|1810
File:Black Americans 1820 County.png|1820
File:Black Americans 1830 County.png|1830
File:Black Americans 1840 County.png|1840
File:Black Americans 1850 County.png|1850
File:Black Americans 1860 County.png|1860
File:Black Americans 1870 County.png|1870
File:Black Americans 1880 County.png|1880
File:Black Americans 1890 County.png|1890
File:Black Americans 1900 County.png|1900
File:Black Americans 1910 County.png|1910
File:Black Americans 1920 County.png|1920
File:Black Americans 1930 County.png|1930
File:Black Americans 1940 County.png|1940
File:Black Americans 1970 County.png|1970
File:Black Americans 1980 County.png|1980
File:Black Americans 1990 County.png|1990
File:Black Americans 2000 County.png|2000
File:Black Americans 2010 County.png|2010
File:Black Americans 2020 County.png|2020
</gallery>

[[Texas]] has the largest African American population by state. Followed by Texas is [[Florida]], with 3.8 million, and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], with 3.6 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/10/key-facts-about-black-americans/ |title=Key facts about the nation's 47.2 million Black Americans |first1=Mark Hugo |last1=Lopez |first2=Mohamad |last2=Moslimani |date=February 10, 2023 |website=Pew Research Center |access-date=July 27, 2023 |archive-date=July 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230727125139/https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/10/key-facts-about-black-americans/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Mississippi]] is the state with the highest African American share of the population at 39%. Followed by Mississippi is [[Louisiana]] at 34%, and Georgia at 32%.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

===US cities===
{{Further|List of U.S. cities with large Black populations|List of U.S. metropolitan areas with large African-American populations}}

After 100 years of African Americans leaving the south in large numbers seeking better opportunities and treatment in the west and north, a movement known as the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]], there is now a reverse trend, called the [[New Great Migration]]. As with the earlier Great Migration, the New Great Migration is primarily directed toward cities and large urban areas, such as [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[Houston]], [[Dallas]], [[Fort Worth]], [[Huntsville, Alabama|Huntsville]], [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], [[Tampa]], [[San Antonio]], [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], [[Nashville]], [[Jacksonville]], and so forth.<ref name="auto1">Greg Toppo and Paul Overberg, [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/02/census-great-migration-reversal/21818127/ "After nearly 100 years, Great Migration begins reversal"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216191513/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/02/census-great-migration-reversal/21818127/ |date=February 16, 2021 }}, ''USA Today'', Feb 2, 2015.</ref> A growing percentage of African Americans from the west and north are migrating to the southern region of the US for economic and cultural reasons. The [[New York metropolitan area|New York City]], [[Chicago metropolitan area|Chicago]], and [[Greater Los Angeles|Los Angeles]] metropolitan areas have the highest decline in African Americans, while [[Metro Atlanta|Atlanta]], [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex|Dallas]], and [[Greater Houston|Houston]] have the highest increase respectively.<ref name="auto1"/> Several smaller metro areas also saw sizable gains, including San Antonio;<ref name="expressnews.com">{{Cite news|date=2021-08-13|title=Latinos, Blacks Show Strong Growth in San Antonio as White Population Declines|newspaper=San Antonio Express-News |url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Latinos-Black-communities-grow-in-San-Antonio-16385595.php|access-date=January 3, 2024|archive-date=March 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301110840/https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Latinos-Black-communities-grow-in-San-Antonio-16385595.php|url-status=live |last1=O'Hare |first1=By Peggy }}</ref> Raleigh and Greensboro, N.C.; and Orlando.<ref>Felton&nbsp;Emmanuel (January  2022).</ref> Despite recent declines, as of 2020, the [[New York City metropolitan area]] still has the largest African American metropolitan population in the United States and the only to have over 3 million African Americans.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Closson |first1=Troy |last2=Hong |first2=Nicole |date=2023-01-31 |title=Why Black Families Are Leaving New York, and What It Means for the City |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/31/nyregion/black-residents-nyc.html |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=October 21, 2023 |archive-date=October 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028123130/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/31/nyregion/black-residents-nyc.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Metropolitan Areas In The USA, By African American Population |url=https://www.nationalmediaspots.com/top-metropolitan-areas-in-the-usa,-by-african-american-population.php |website=National Media Spots |date=2020 |access-date=October 20, 2023 |archive-date=October 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231021172251/https://www.nationalmediaspots.com/top-metropolitan-areas-in-the-usa,-by-african-american-population.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

Among [[List of U.S. cities with large Black populations|cities of 100,000 or more]], [[South Fulton, Georgia]] had the highest percentage of Black residents of any large US city in 2020, with 93%. Other large cities with African American majorities include [[Jackson, Mississippi]] (80%), [[Detroit, Michigan]] (80%), [[Birmingham, Alabama]] (70%), [[Miami Gardens, Florida]] (67%), [[Memphis, Tennessee]] (63%), [[Montgomery, Alabama]] (62%), [[Baltimore|Baltimore, Maryland]] (60%), [[Augusta, Georgia]] (59%), [[Shreveport, Louisiana]] (58%), [[New Orleans, Louisiana]] (57%), [[Macon, Georgia]] (56%), [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]] (55%), [[Hampton, Virginia]] (53%), [[Newark, New Jersey]] (53%), [[Mobile, Alabama]] (53%), [[Cleveland, Ohio]] (52%), [[Brockton, Massachusetts]] (51%), and [[Savannah, Georgia]] (51%).

[[Claiborne County, Mississippi]] is the Blackest [[county]] in the U.S. at 87% Black in 2020.  [[Cook County, Illinois]] has the largest Black population in the U.S. with 1,185,601 Black residents in 2020.

The nation's most affluent community with an African American majority resides in [[View Park–Windsor Hills, California]], with an annual median household income of $159,618.<ref>[https://atlantablackstar.com/2014/01/03/10-richest-black-communities-america/5/ "10 of the Richest Black Communities in America"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801103620/http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/01/03/10-richest-black-communities-america/5/ |date=August 1, 2018 }}, ''Atlanta Black Star'', January 3, 2014.</ref> Other largely affluent and African American communities include [[Prince George's County, Maryland|Prince George's County]] (namely [[Mitchellville, Maryland|Mitchellville]], [[Woodmore, Maryland|Woodmore]], [[Upper Marlboro, Maryland|Upper Marlboro]]) and [[Charles County, Maryland|Charles County]] in Maryland,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/prince-georges-county/charles-county-surpasses-prince-georges-as-wealthiest-black-county-in-us-post/3095774/ | title=Charles County Surpasses Prince George's as Wealthiest Black County in US: Post | date=July 8, 2022 | access-date=January 7, 2023 | archive-date=January 7, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230107130730/https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/prince-georges-county/charles-county-surpasses-prince-georges-as-wealthiest-black-county-in-us-post/3095774/ | url-status=live }}</ref> [[DeKalb County, Georgia|DeKalb County]] (namely [[Stonecrest, Georgia|Stonecrest]], [[Lithonia, Georgia|Lithonia]], [[Smoke Rise, Georgia|Smoke Rise]]) and South Fulton in Georgia, [[Charles City County, Virginia|Charles City County]] in Virginia, [[Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles|Baldwin Hills]] in California, [[Hillcrest, Rockland County, New York|Hillcrest]] and [[Uniondale, New York|Uniondale]] in New York, and [[Cedar Hill, Texas|Cedar Hill]], [[DeSoto, Texas|DeSoto]], and [[Missouri City, Texas|Missouri City]] in Texas. Additionally, there is a significant affluent Black presence in the southern Chicago suburbs of [[Cook County, Illinois]]. A report from the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) indicated that 5 of the top 10 municipalities nationwide (with at least 500 Black households) registering the highest Black homeownership rates were in this area - including [[Olympia Fields, Illinois|Olympia Fields]], [[South Holland, Illinois|South Holland]], [[Flossmoor, Illinois|Flossmoor]], [[Matteson, Illinois|Matteson]], and [[Lynwood, Illinois|Lynwood]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-16 |title=Where Black Homeownership Is The Norm: Several Chicago suburbs are exceptions to the national trend. |url=https://www.nareb.com/where-black-homeownership-is-the-norm-several-chicago-suburbs-are-exceptions-to-the-national-trend/ |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=National Association of Real Estate Brokers |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Queens|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 White Americans.<ref name=Queens/>

[[Seatack, Virginia]] is currently the oldest African American community in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rigell.house.gov/videos/?VideoID=Nkfj0D-Qw78|title=Video Gallery – U.S. Representative Scott Rigell|access-date=July 18, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821175636/https://rigell.house.gov/videos/?VideoID=Nkfj0D-Qw78|archive-date=August 21, 2016}}</ref> It survives today with a vibrant and active civic community.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archives.thenewjournalandguide.com/community/item/3764-seatack-community-celebrates-200%20-years-with-banquet|title=Seatack Community Celebrates 200+ Years With Banquet}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Education===
{{Main|History of African-American education}}
[[File:Former Slave Reading.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Former slave reading, 1870]]

During slavery, [[Anti-literacy laws in the United States|anti-literacy laws]] were enacted in the US that prohibited education for Black people. Slave owners saw literacy as a threat to the institution of slavery. As a North Carolina statute stated, "Teaching slaves to read and write, tends to excite dissatisfaction in their minds, and to produce insurrection and [[slave rebellion|rebellion]]."<ref>{{cite book|title=An Inquiry Into the Character and Tendency of the American Colonization, and American Anti-slavery Societies|author-link=William Jay (jurist)|first=William|last=Jay|year=1835|edition=2nd|location=New York|publisher=[[Dudley Leavitt (publisher)|Leavitt, Lord & Co.]]|url=https://archive.org/details/aninquiryintoch05jaygoog/page/n6/mode/2up}}</ref>

When slavery was finally abolished in 1865, public educational systems were expanding across the country. By 1870, around seventy-four institutions in the south provided a form of advanced education for African American students. By 1900, over a hundred programs at these schools provided training for Black professionals, including teachers. Many of the students at Fisk University, including the young [[W. E. B. Du Bois]], taught school during the summers to support their studies.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fultz |first1=Michael |title=Determination and Persistence: Building the African American Teacher Corps through Summer and Intermittent Teaching, 1860s–1890s |journal=History of Education Quarterly |date=February 2021 |volume=61 |issue=1 |pages=4–34 |doi=10.1017/heq.2020.65|doi-access=free }}</ref>

African Americans were very concerned to provide quality education for their children, but White supremacy limited their ability to participate in educational policymaking on the political level. State governments soon moved to undermine their citizenship by restricting their right to vote. By the late 1870s, Blacks were disenfranchised and segregated across the American South.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Anderson |first1=James D. |title=The Education of Blacks in the South, 1860–1935 |date=1988 |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |location=Chapel Hill |isbn=0-8078-1793-7}}</ref> White politicians in Mississippi and other states withheld financial resources and supplies from Black schools. Nevertheless, the presence of Black teachers, and their engagement with their communities both inside and outside the classroom, ensured that Black students had access to education despite these external constraints.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Span |first1=Christopher M. |title=From Cotton Field to Schoolhouse: African American Education in Mississippi, 1862–1875 |date=2009 |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |location=Chapel Hill}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ladson-Billings |first1=Gloria |last2=Anderson |first2=James D. |title=Policy Dialogue: Black Teachers of the Past, Present, and Future |journal=History of Education Quarterly |date=February 3, 2021 |volume=61 |issue=1 |pages=94–102 |doi=10.1017/heq.2020.68|doi-access=free }}</ref>

During [[World War II]], demands for unity and racial tolerance on the home front provided an opening for the first Black history curriculum in the country.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Field |first1=Sherry |title=Intercultural Education and Negro History during the Second World War |journal=Journal of Midwest History of Education Society |date=1995 |volume=22 |pages=75–85}}</ref> For example, during the early 1940s, Madeline Morgan, a Black teacher in the Chicago public schools, created a curriculum for students in grades one through eight highlighting the contributions of Black people to the history of the United States. At the close of the war, Chicago's Board of Education downgraded the curriculum's status from mandatory to optional.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dennis |first1=Ashley D. |title="The Intellectual Emancipation of the Negro": Madeline Morgan and the Mandatory Black History Curriculum in Chicago during World War II |journal=History of Education Quarterly |date=May 2022 |volume=62 |issue=2 |pages=136–160 |doi=10.1017/heq.2022.2|s2cid=248406635 }}</ref>

Predominantly Black schools for kindergarten through twelfth grade students were common throughout the US before the 1970s. By 1972, however, desegregation efforts meant that only 25% of Black students were in schools with more than 90% non-White students. However, since then, a trend towards re-segregation affected communities across the country: by 2011, 2.9 million African American students were in such overwhelmingly minority schools, including 53% of Black students in school districts that were formerly under desegregation orders.<ref>Kozol, J. [https://www.thenation.com/doc/20051219/kozol "Overcoming Apartheid", ''The Nation''. December 19, 2005. p. 26] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325161054/http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051219/kozol |date=March 25, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.propublica.org/article/segregation-now-full-text|title = Segregation Now|last = Hannah-Jones|first = Nikole|date = April 16, 2014|work = ProPublica|access-date = December 14, 2015|archive-date = December 13, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151213193910/https://www.propublica.org/article/segregation-now-full-text|url-status = live}}</ref>

As late as 1947, about one third of African Americans over 65 were considered to lack the literacy to read and write their own names. By 1969, [[illiteracy]] as it had been traditionally defined, had been largely eradicated among younger African Americans.<ref>Public Information Office, United States Census Bureau. [https://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-151.html High School Completions at All-Time High, Census Bureau Reports] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327134138/http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-151.html |date=March 27, 2010 }}. September 15, 2000.</ref>

[[File:Neil deGrasse Tyson - NAC Nov 2005.jpg|thumb|upright|Astrophysicist [[Neil deGrasse Tyson]] is director of New York City's [[Hayden Planetarium]]]]
Between 1995 and 2009, freshmen college enrollment for African Americans increased by 73 percent and only 15 percent for Whites.<ref>Michael A. Fletcher, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/minorities-and-whites-follow-unequal-college-paths-report-says/2013/07/31/61c18f08-f9f3-11e2-8752-b41d7ed1f685_story.html "Minorities and whites follow unequal college paths, report says"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223225704/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/minorities-and-whites-follow-unequal-college-paths-report-says/2013/07/31/61c18f08-f9f3-11e2-8752-b41d7ed1f685_story.html |date=December 23, 2015 }}, ''The Washington Post'', July 31, 2013.</ref> Black women are enrolled in college more than any other race and gender group, leading all with 9.7% enrolled according to the 2011 US census.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/black-women-become-most-educated-group-in-us-a7063361.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604003454/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/black-women-become-most-educated-group-in-us-a7063361.html |archive-date=June 4, 2016 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Black women become most educated group in US|date=June 3, 2016|access-date=July 18, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/hhes/school/data/cps/2011/tables.html |title=CPS October 2011 – Detailed Tables |access-date=December 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118080151/http://www.census.gov/hhes/school/data/cps/2011/tables.html |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 
The average high school graduation rate of Blacks in the United States has steadily increased to 71% in 2013.<ref>Allie Bidwell, [https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/03/16/federal-data-show-racial-gap-in-high-school-graduation-rates-is-closing "Racial Gaps in High School Graduation Rates Are Closing"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706054212/https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/03/16/federal-data-show-racial-gap-in-high-school-graduation-rates-is-closing |date=July 6, 2017 }}, ''U.S. News'', March 16, 2015.</ref> Separating this statistic into component parts shows it varies greatly depending upon the state and the school district examined. 38% of Black males graduated in the state of New York but in Maine 97% graduated and exceeded the White male graduation rate by 11 percentage points.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Alonso|first1=Andres A.|title=Black Male Graduation Rates|url=https://blackboysreport.org/national-summary/black-male-graduation-rates|website=blackboysreport.org|publisher=The Schott Foundation for Public Education|access-date=September 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016154552/http://blackboysreport.org/national-summary/black-male-graduation-rates|archive-date=October 16, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> In much of the southeastern United States and some parts of the southwestern United States the graduation rate of White males was in fact below 70% such as in Florida where 62% of White males graduated from high school. Examining specific school districts paints an even more complex picture. In the Detroit school district, the graduation rate of Black males was 20% but 7% for White males. In the New York City school district 28% of Black males graduate from high school compared to 57% of White males. In Newark County{{Where|date=September 2014}} 76% of Black males graduated compared to 67% for White males. Further academic improvement has occurred in 2015. Roughly 23% of all Blacks have bachelor's degrees. In 1988, 21% of Whites had obtained a bachelor's degree versus 11% of Blacks. In 2015, 23% of Blacks had obtained a bachelor's degree versus 36% of Whites.<ref name="Census Report">{{cite web|last1=Ryan|first1=Camille L.|title=Educational Attainment in the United States|url=https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/p20-578.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/p20-578.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|website=census.gov|publisher=The United States Bureau Of Statistics|access-date=July 22, 2017}}</ref> Foreign born Blacks, 9% of the Black population, made even greater strides. They exceed native born Blacks by 10 percentage points.<ref name="Census Report"/>

[[College Board]], which runs the official college-level [[Advanced Placement|advanced placement]] (AP) programs in American high schools, have has received criticism in recent years that its curricula have focused too much on [[Euro-centric]] history.<ref name="Columbia">{{cite web |title=African Diaspora Advanced Placement Course, Co-developed by Teachers College, Highlighted by Time |url=https://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2020/february/african-diaspora-advanced-placement-course-highlighted-by-time-magazine/ |website=columbia.edu |publisher=Columbia University |access-date=7 July 2022 |archive-date=July 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707024842/https://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2020/february/african-diaspora-advanced-placement-course-highlighted-by-time-magazine/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2020, College Board reshaped some curricula among history-based courses to further reflect the [[African diaspora]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gleibermann |first1=Erik |title=New College Board curriculum puts the African diaspora in the spotlight |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/new-college-board-curriculum-puts-the-african-diaspora-in-the-spotlight/2020/09/07/579631c2-ee1b-11ea-b4bc-3a2098fc73d4_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=July 7, 2022 |archive-date=January 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128113036/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/new-college-board-curriculum-puts-the-african-diaspora-in-the-spotlight/2020/09/07/579631c2-ee1b-11ea-b4bc-3a2098fc73d4_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, College Board announced it would be piloting an [[AP African American Studies]] course between 2022 and 2024. The course officially launched in August 2024.<ref name="TIG">{{cite conference |title= Teacher Information Guide AP African American Studies Pilot|last= Waters |first= Brandi|date= February 2022 |publisher= College Board|location= Washington, DC|conference= |id=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Adopt AP African American Studies |url=https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-african-american-studies/adopt |website=[[Advanced Placement|AP Central]] |access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref>

In June 2023, the [[Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard|Supreme Court ended race-based affirmative action at American colleges and universities]].  This landmark Supreme Court decision is widely believed to contribute to a decline in African American enrollment at the nation's most selective and prominent colleges and universities, where African American applicants often have, on average, lower standardized test scores and GPAs compared to the overall applicant pool. In response, many of the nation's most popular historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have reported a significant surge in applications and enrollment.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/black-enrollment-drops-at-top-schools-as-affirmative-action-axed |title=Black Enrollment Drops at Top Schools as Affirmative Action Axed |work=Bloomberg Law |first1=Francesca |last1=Maglione |first2=Paulina |last2=Cachero |first3=Ann |last3=Choi |first4=Raeedah |last4=Wahid |date=September 27, 2024 |access-date=April 10, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/09/05/diverse-college-enrollment-down-post-affirmative-action-ruling/ |title=Black enrollment drops at UNC after ruling; other schools vary |newspaper=The Washington Post |last=Svluga |first=Susan |date=September 5, 2024 |access-date=April 10, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.highereddive.com/news/hbcus-enrollment-surge-why/710494/ |title=Some HBCUs are seeing enrollment surge. Here's why. |work=Higher Ed Drive |last=McLean |first=Danielle |date=March 19, 2024 |access-date=April 10, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.the74million.org/article/court-documents-racial-preferences-massively-boost-black-hispanic-applicants/ |title=Court Documents: Racial Preferences Massively Boost Black, Hispanic Applicants |work=The74 |last=Mahnken |first=Kevin |date=July 24, 2022 |access-date=April 10, 2025}}</ref>

According to a 2025 study, African Americans have the highest average student debt.  African Americans with [[bachelor's degrees]] owe an average of $52,726 in student loans. Nearly 70% of African Americans took out a loan to fund their undergraduate education.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://educationdata.org/student-loan-debt-by-race |title=Student Loan Debt by Race |last=Hanson |first=Melanie |publisher=Education Data Initiative |date=February 18, 2025 |access-date=May 3, 2025}}</ref>

====Historically Black colleges and universities====
{{Main|Historically black colleges and universities|List of historically black colleges and universities}}
Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), which were founded when [[Racial segregation in the United States|segregated institutions]] of higher learning did not admit African Americans, continue to thrive and educate students of all races today. There are 101 HBCUs representing three percent of the nation's colleges and universities with the majority established in the [[southeastern United States|Southeast]].<ref>[https://www.tnj.com/lists-resources/hbcu "Lists of Historical Black Colleges and Universities"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702201350/http://www.tnj.com/lists-resources/hbcu |date=July 2, 2017 }}, ''The Network Journal''.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://hbcu-levers.blogspot.com/p/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-about.html#BestHBCU|title=TECH-Levers: FAQs About HBCUs|access-date=July 18, 2016|archive-date=August 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827030310/http://hbcu-levers.blogspot.com/p/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-about.html#BestHBCU|url-status=live}}</ref> HBCUs have been largely responsible for establishing and expanding the African American middle-class by providing more career opportunities for African Americans.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47234239 |title=The story of historically black colleges in the US  |work=BBC News |date=February 15, 2019 |accessdate=January 10, 2022 |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102193058/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47234239 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/despite-obstacles-black-colleges-are-pipelines-to-the-middle-class-study-finds-heres-its-list-of-the-best/ |title=Despite Obstacles, Black Colleges Are Pipelines to the Middle Class, Study Finds. Here's Its List of the Best. |first=Marc |last=Parry |date=September 30, 2019 |newspaper=[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]] |access-date=January 2, 2022 |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102191119/https://www.chronicle.com/article/despite-obstacles-black-colleges-are-pipelines-to-the-middle-class-study-finds-heres-its-list-of-the-best/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Economic status===
{{Further|Black-owned business}}

The economic disparity between the races in the US has marginally improved since the end of slavery. In 1863, two years prior to emancipation, Black people owned 0.5 percent of the national wealth, while in 2019 it is just over 1.5 percent.<ref>{{cite news |title=Why the racial wealth gap persists, more than 150 years after emancipation |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/06/19/why-racial-wealth-gap-persists-more-than-years-after-emancipation/ |access-date=January 25, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> [[Racial inequality in the United States|Racial disparity in poverty rates]] has narrowed since the civil rights era, with the [[African-American poverty|poverty rate among African Americans]] decreasing from 24.7% in 2004 to 18.8% in 2020, compared to 10.5% for all Americans.<ref name="DeNavas-Walt"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Creamer|first=John|date=September 15, 2020|title=Inequalities Persist Despite Decline in Poverty For All Major Race and Hispanic Origin Groups|url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/09/poverty-rates-for-blacks-and-hispanics-reached-historic-lows-in-2019.html|url-status=live|website=Census.gov|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917070757/https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/09/poverty-rates-for-blacks-and-hispanics-reached-historic-lows-in-2019.html|archive-date=September 17, 2020|access-date=July 13, 2021}}</ref> Poverty is associated with higher rates of marital stress and dissolution, [[physical disorder|physical]] and [[mental disorder|mental health]] problems, [[disability and poverty|disability]], [[cognitive deficit]]s, [[Achievement gap in the United States|low educational attainment]], and crime.<ref name="CharacOfFam">{{cite web|url=https://ssw.unc.edu/RTI/presentation/PDFs/aa_families.pdf|title=Characteristics of African American Families|first=Oscar|last=Barbarin|publisher=University of North Carolina|access-date=September 23, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920225226/https://ssw.unc.edu/RTI/presentation/PDFs/aa_families.pdf|archive-date=September 20, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref>

African Americans have a long and diverse history of business ownership. Although the first African American business is unknown, slaves captured from West Africa are believed to have established commercial enterprises as peddlers and skilled craftspeople as far back as the 17th century. Around 1900, Booker T. Washington became the most famous proponent of African American businesses. His critic and rival W. E. B. DuBois also commended business as a vehicle for African American advancement.<ref>Juliet E.K. Walker, The History of Black Business in America: Capitalism, Race, Entrepreneurship (New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 1998)</ref>

[[File:US real median household income 1967 - 2011.PNG|thumb|This graph shows the real median [[Household income in the United States|US household income]] by race: 1967 to 2011, in 2011 dollars.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Carmen|last1=DeNavas-Walt|first2=Bernadette D.|last2=Proctor|first3=Jessica C.|last3=Smith|date=September 2012|chapter=Real Median Household Income by Race and Hispanic Origin: 1967 to 2010|page=8|title=Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2011|chapter-url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p60-243.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p60-243.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>]]

African Americans had a combined buying power of over $1.6 trillion as of 2021, a 171% increase of their buying power in 2000 but lagging significantly in growth behind American [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latinos]] and [[Asian Americans|Asians]] in the same timer period (with 288% and 383%, respectively; for reference, US growth overall was 144% in the same period); however, African American net worth had shrunk 14% in the previous year despite strong growth in property prices and the [[S&P 500]]. In 2002, African American-owned businesses accounted for 1.2 million of the US's 23 million businesses.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20051030110726/http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/business_ownership/005477.html Minority Groups Increasing Business Ownership at Higher Rate than National Average, Census Bureau Reports] U.S. Census Press Release</ref> {{as of|2011}}, African American-owned businesses account for approximately 2 million [[US businesses]].<ref name=Tozzi>{{cite web|last=Tozzi|first=John|url=https://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2010/sb20100715_469797.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100719013730/http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2010/sb20100715_469797.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 19, 2010|title=Minority Businesses Multiply But Still Lag Whites|work=Bloomberg BusinessWeek|date=July 16, 2010|access-date=April 20, 2012}}</ref> Black-owned businesses experienced the largest growth in number of businesses among minorities from 2002 to 2011.<ref name=Tozzi/>

Twenty-five percent of Blacks had [[White-collar worker|white-collar]] occupations (management, professional, and related fields) in 2000, compared with 33.6% of Americans overall.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-25.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-25.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Occupations: 2000|first1=Peter |last1=Fronczek |first2=Patricia |last2=Johnson |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=August 2003|access-date=October 24, 2006}}</ref><ref name="Black Pop-March 2002">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p20-541.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p20-541.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=The Black Population in the United States: March 2002|first=Jesse|last=McKinnon|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2003|access-date=October 24, 2006}}</ref> In 2001, over half of African American households of married couples earned $50,000 or more.<ref name="Black Pop-March 2002"/> 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.<ref name="Black Pop-March 2002"/>

In 2006, the median earnings of African American men was more than Black and non-Black American women overall, and in all educational levels.<ref name="census.gov-PINC03">{{cite web|url=https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_131.htm|title=PINC-03-Part 131|publisher=Pubdb3.census.gov|date=August 29, 2006|access-date=January 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515100925/https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_131.htm|archive-date=May 15, 2011}}</ref><ref name="census.gov-254">{{cite web|url=https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_254.htm|title=PINC-03-Part 254|publisher=Pubdb3.census.gov|date=August 29, 2006|access-date=January 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110509101748/https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_254.htm|archive-date=May 9, 2011}}</ref><ref name="census.gov-259">{{cite web|url=https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_259.htm|title=PINC-03-Part 259|publisher=Pubdb3.census.gov|date=August 29, 2006|access-date=January 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511022845/https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_259.htm|archive-date=May 11, 2011}}</ref><ref name="census.gov-135">{{cite web|url=https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_135.htm|title=PINC-03-Part 135|publisher=Pubdb3.census.gov|date=August 29, 2006|access-date=January 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110509101502/https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_135.htm|archive-date=May 9, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_253.htm|title=PINC-03-Part 253|publisher=Pubdb3.census.gov|date=August 29, 2006|access-date=January 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110509101729/https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_253.htm|archive-date=May 9, 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref name="census.gov-PINC03"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_128.htm|title=PINC-03-Part 128|publisher=Pubdb3.census.gov|date=August 29, 2006|access-date=January 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110509102045/https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_128.htm|archive-date=May 9, 2011}}</ref>

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.<ref name="census.gov-PINC03"/><ref name="census.gov-135"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_133.htm|title=PINC-03-Part 133|publisher=Pubdb3.census.gov|date=August 29, 2006|access-date=January 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511022120/https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_133.htm|archive-date=May 11, 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref name="census.gov-254"/><ref name="census.gov-259"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_005.htm|title=PINC-03-Part 5|publisher=Pubdb3.census.gov|date=August 29, 2006|access-date=January 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110509102039/https://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_005.htm|archive-date=May 9, 2011}}</ref>

The US [[public sector]] is the single most important source of employment for African Americans.<ref name="laborcenter.berkeley.edu">{{cite web|url=https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/blackworkers/blacks_public_sector11.pdf|title="Black Workers and the Public Sector", Dr Steven Pitts, University of California, Berkeley, Center for Labor Research and Education, April 4, 2011|access-date=July 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713001456/http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/blackworkers/blacks_public_sector11.pdf|archive-date=July 13, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> During 2008–2010, 21.2% of all Black workers were public employees, compared with 16.3% of non-Black workers.<ref name="laborcenter.berkeley.edu"/> Both before and after the onset of the [[Great Recession]], African Americans were 30% more likely than other workers to be employed in the public sector.<ref name="laborcenter.berkeley.edu"/> The public sector is also a critical source of decent-paying jobs for Black Americans. For both men and women, the median wage earned by Black employees is significantly higher in the public sector than in other industries.<ref name="laborcenter.berkeley.edu"/>

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. Nationwide, the October 2008 unemployment rate for African Americans was 11.1%,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t02.htm|title=BLS.gov|publisher=BLS.gov|date=January 7, 2011|access-date=January 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213004820/https://bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t02.htm|archive-date=December 13, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> while the nationwide rate was 6.5%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LNS14000000|title=BLS.gov|publisher=Data.bls.gov|access-date=January 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120154929/https://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LNS14000000|archive-date=January 20, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2007, the average income for African Americans was approximately $34,000, compared to $55,000 for Whites.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.omhrc.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=51|title=OMHRC.gov|publisher=OMHRC.gov|date=October 21, 2009|access-date=January 20, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090813055043/https://omhrc.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=51|archive-date=August 13, 2009}}</ref> African Americans experience a higher rate of unemployment than the general population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/12/black-white-unemployment-gap/421497/|title=Education Gaps Don't Fully Explain Why Black Unemployment Is So High|first=Gillian B.|last=White|date=December 21, 2015|website=[[The Atlantic]]|access-date=July 3, 2016|archive-date=May 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522182744/https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/12/black-white-unemployment-gap/421497/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The income gap between Black and White families is also significant. In 2005, employed Blacks earned 65% of the wages of Whites, down from 82% in 1975.<ref name="DeNavas-Walt">{{cite web|first1=Carmen |last1=DeNavas-Walt |first2=Bernadette D. |last2=Proctor |author3=Cheryl Hill Lee |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/p60-229.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/p60-229.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2004|date=August 2005|publisher=United States Census Bureau|pages=60–229}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' reported in 2006 that in [[Queens]], New York, the median income among African American families exceeded that of White families, which the newspaper attributed to the growth in the number of two-parent Black families. It noted that Queens was the only county with more than 65,000 residents where that was true.<ref name=Queens>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/nyregion/01census.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061025143541/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/nyregion/01census.html |archive-date=October 25, 2006 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Black Incomes Surpass Whites in Queens|date=October 1, 2006|website=The New York Times|access-date=July 18, 2016}}</ref> In 2011, it was reported that [[African-American family structure|72% of Black babies were born to unwed mothers]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Riley |first1=Jason. L. |title=For blacks, the Pyrrhic Victory of the Obama Era |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204712904578090483678801780 |access-date=December 14, 2022 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=November 4, 2012 |archive-date=December 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214123842/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204712904578090483678801780 |url-status=live }}</ref> The poverty rate among single-parent Black families was 39.5% in 2005, according to [[Walter E. Williams]], while it was 9.9% among married-couple Black families. Among White families, the respective rates were 26.4% and 6% in poverty.<ref>[https://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams102705.asp Ammunition for poverty pimps] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525114424/http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams102705.asp |date=May 25, 2017 }} Walter E. Williams, October 27, 2005.</ref>

Collectively, African Americans are more involved in the American political process than other minority groups in the United States, indicated by the highest level of voter registration and participation in elections among these groups in 2004.<ref name="vote-nov2007">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p20-556.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p20-556.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2007|date=March 2006|access-date=May 30, 2007}}</ref> African Americans also have the highest level of [[United States Congress|Congressional representation]] of any minority group in the US.<ref>{{cite web|first=Jonathan D.|last=Mott|url=https://www.thisnation.com/congress-facts.html|title=The United States Congress Quick Facts|publisher=ThisNation.com|date=February 4, 2010|access-date=January 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110305031403/https://www.thisnation.com/congress-facts.html|archive-date=March 5, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====African American homeownership====
[[File:US Homeownership by Race 2009.png|thumb|The [[Homeownership in the United States|US homeownership rate]] according to race<ref name="US Census Bureau, homeownership by race">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/hvs/annual09/ann09t22.xls|title=US Census Bureau, homeownership by race|access-date=October 6, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327060251/http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/hvs/annual09/ann09t22.xls|archive-date=March 27, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>]]

[[Home-ownership in the United States|Homeownership in the US]] is the strongest indicator of financial stability and the primary asset most Americans use to generate wealth. African Americans continue to lag behind other racial groups in homeownership.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/10/13/black-families-fall-further-behind-on-homeownership#:~:text=In%202022%2C%2074.6%25%20of%20White,%2C%20a%2027%2Dpoint%20gap. | title=Black Families Fall Further Behind on Homeownership | date=October 13, 2022 | access-date=March 8, 2023 | archive-date=March 8, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308145123/https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/10/13/black-families-fall-further-behind-on-homeownership#:~:text=In%202022%2C%2074.6%25%20of%20White,%2C%20a%2027%2Dpoint%20gap. | url-status=live }}</ref> In the first quarter of 2021, 45.1% of African Americans owned their homes, compared to 65.3% of all Americans.<ref>{{cite web |title=Residential Vacancies and Homeownership |url=https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/currenthvspress.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/currenthvspress.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |website=Census.gov |access-date=July 13, 2021}}</ref> The African American homeownership rate has remained relatively flat since the 1970s despite an increase in [[Housing discrimination in the United States|anti-discrimination housing laws and protections]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwake/2019/05/16/the-shocking-truth-about-the-u-s-black-homeownership-rate-50-years-after-the-1968-fair-housing-act/|title=The Shocking Truth 50 Years After The 1968 Fair Housing Act: The Black Homeownership Paradox|first=John|last=Wake|website=Forbes|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=March 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308143207/https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwake/2019/05/16/the-shocking-truth-about-the-u-s-black-homeownership-rate-50-years-after-the-1968-fair-housing-act/|url-status=live}}</ref> The African American homeownership rate peaked in 2004 at 49.7%.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://prosperitybenefitservices.com/black-homeownership-rate-rises-but-hasnt-returned-to-2004-level/#:~:text=Today%2C%20nearly%2046%25%20of%20Black,74%25%20rate%20for%20white%20households | title=Black homeownership rate rises, but hasn't returned to 2004 level | date=June 11, 2024 | access-date=June 17, 2024 | archive-date=June 17, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617011402/https://prosperitybenefitservices.com/black-homeownership-rate-rises-but-hasnt-returned-to-2004-level/#:~:text=Today%2C%20nearly%2046%25%20of%20Black,74%25%20rate%20for%20white%20households | url-status=dead }}</ref>

The average White high school drop-out still has a slightly better chance of owning a home than the average African American college graduate usually due to unfavorable [[debt-to-income ratio]]s or [[Credit score in the United States|credit scores]] among most African American college graduates.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/student-loan-debt-barrier-black-homeownership|title=Student Loan Debt A Barrier To Black Homeownership – NMP|date=November 15, 2022 |access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=March 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308143205/https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/student-loan-debt-barrier-black-homeownership|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/why-do-black-college-graduates-have-lower-homeownership-rate-white-people-who-dropped-out-high-school | title=Why do Black College Graduates Have a Lower Homeownership Rate Than White People Who Dropped Out of High School? | journal=Urban Institute | date=February 27, 2020 | access-date=May 28, 2023 | archive-date=May 28, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528124534/https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/why-do-black-college-graduates-have-lower-homeownership-rate-white-people-who-dropped-out-high-school | url-status=live | last1=Choi | first1=Jung Hyun | last2=Goodman | first2=Laurie }}</ref> Since 2000, fast-growing housing costs in most cities have made it even more difficult for the US African American homeownership rate to significantly grow and reach over 50% for the first time in history. From 2000 to 2022, the median home price in the US grew 160%, outpacing average annual household income growth in that same period, which only grew about 30%.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/17/realestate/black-homeowners-gentrification.html|title=What Gentrification Means for Black Homeowners|first=Jacquelynn|last=Kerubo|work=The New York Times|date=August 17, 2021|via=NY Times.com|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=March 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308150657/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/17/realestate/black-homeowners-gentrification.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/business/3478213-rising-home-prices-a-timeline/|title=Rising home prices: a timeline|first=Monique|last=Beals|newspaper=The Hill |date=May 5, 2022|access-date=March 16, 2023|archive-date=March 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308171030/https://thehill.com/business/3478213-rising-home-prices-a-timeline/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/612519/average-annual-real-wages-united-states/|title=Average annual real wages U.S. 2021|website=Statista|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=March 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308172443/https://www.statista.com/statistics/612519/average-annual-real-wages-united-states/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[South Carolina]] is the state with the most African American homeownership, with about 55% of African Americans owning their own homes.<ref>{{cite web |date=2023-02-22 |title=South Carolina leads the U.S. in Black homeownership, but there are still a few gaps to close |url=https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/sc-news/2023-02-22/south-carolina-leads-the-u-s-in-black-homeownership-but-there-are-still-a-few-gaps-to-close |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=South Carolina Public Radio |language=en |archive-date=October 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018185059/https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/sc-news/2023-02-22/south-carolina-leads-the-u-s-in-black-homeownership-but-there-are-still-a-few-gaps-to-close |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bahney |first=Anna |date=2023-03-02 |title=The gulf between Black homeowners and White is actually getting bigger, not smaller {{!}} CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/02/homes/race-and-home-buying-nar/index.html |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=October 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018185057/https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/02/homes/race-and-home-buying-nar/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Black people, who make up 12% of the total U.S. population, make up 32% of all people experiencing homelessness, according to the data.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Kanishka |title=US homelessness rose by record 18% in latest annual data |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-homelessness-rose-by-record-18-latest-annual-data-2024-12-27/ |work=Reuters |date=28 December 2024}}</ref>

===Politics===

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="float:right; font-size:90%; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"

|-
!Year
!Candidate of<br />the plurality
!Political <br /> party
!% of<br />Black<br />vote
!Result
|-
|1980 || [[Jimmy Carter]] || [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] ||83%
| {{no|Lost}}
|-
|1984 || [[Walter Mondale]] || Democratic || 91%
| {{no|Lost}}
|-
|1988 || [[Michael Dukakis]] || Democratic || 89%
| {{no|Lost}}
|-
|1992 || [[Bill Clinton]] || Democratic || 83%
| {{won}}
|-
|1996 || [[Bill Clinton]] || Democratic ||84%
| {{won}}
|-
|2000 || [[Al Gore]] || Democratic || 90%
|{{no|Lost}}
|-
|2004 || [[John Kerry]] || Democratic || 88%
|{{no|Lost}}
|-
|2008 || [[Barack Obama]] || Democratic || 95%
| {{won}}
|-
|2012 || [[Barack Obama]] || Democratic || 93%
| {{won}}
|-
|2016 || [[Hillary Clinton]] || Democratic || 88%
| {{no|Lost}}
|-
|2020 || [[Joe Biden]] || Democratic || 87%
| {{won}}
|-
|2024 || [[Kamala Harris]] || Democratic || 85%
| {{no|Lost}}
|}
Since the mid 20th century, a large majority of African Americans support the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. In the [[2020 United States presidential election|2024 Presidential election]], 86% of African American voters supported Democrat [[Kamala Harris]], while 13% supported Republican [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Election 2024: Exit polls |url=https://www.cnn.com/election/2024/exit-polls/national-results/general/president/0 |website=[[CNN]] |access-date=27 February 2025}}</ref> Although there is an African American lobby in foreign policy, it has not had the impact that African American organizations have had in domestic policy.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=American Society and the African American Foreign Policy Lobby: Constraints and Opportunities|first=David A.|last=Dickson|journal=Journal of Black Studies|year=1996|pages=139–151|volume=27|doi=10.1177/002193479602700201|issue=2|s2cid=143314945}}</ref>

Many African Americans were excluded from electoral politics in the decades following the end of Reconstruction. For those that could participate, until the [[New Deal]], African Americans were supporters of the Republican Party because it was Republican President Abraham Lincoln who helped in granting freedom to American slaves; at the time, the Republicans and Democrats represented the [[Sectionalism|sectional]] interests of the [[Northern United States|North]] and [[Southern United States|South]], respectively, rather than any specific ideology, and both [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] and [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]] were represented equally in both parties.

The African American trend of voting for Democrats can be traced back to the 1930s during the [[Great Depression]], when [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s [[New Deal]] program provided economic relief to African Americans. Roosevelt's [[New Deal coalition]] turned the Democratic Party into an organization of the working class and their liberal allies, regardless of region. The African American vote became even more solidly Democratic when Democratic presidents [[John F. Kennedy]] and [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] pushed for civil rights legislation during the 1960s. In 1960, nearly a third of African Americans voted for Republican [[Richard Nixon]].<ref>{{cite book|first1=John Clifford|last1=Green|first2=Daniel J.|last2=Coffey|title=The State of the Parties: The Changing Role of Contemporary American Politics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nIPRBXgzSYEC&pg=PA29|year=2007|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7425-5322-4|page=29|access-date=June 16, 2015|archive-date=January 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107112637/https://books.google.com/books?id=nIPRBXgzSYEC&pg=PA29#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Conservatism]] has been steadily growing among African Americans, particularly since the 2020 Presidential election. In the 2024 election, Trump secured a larger share of the African American vote compared to his 2020 performance. Notably, Black men and younger Black voters have increasingly aligned with the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], adopting more conservative stances, such as supporting stricter crime policies, placing less emphasis on [[Transgender rights movement|transgender rights]], and advocating for an end to [[illegal immigration]], which marks a shift from the views of previous generations.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Suggs |first1=Bria |title=Young Black voters are becoming more conservative than their parents. Here's why |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/08/14/g-s1-16261/young-black-voters-generation-democrats-conservative-trump-harris-gen-z-millennials |website=[[NPR]] |access-date=27 February 2025 |date=14 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/trump-support-white-black-voters-immigration-2020299|title=Donald Trump's approval rating higher with Black people than white people|date=January 24, 2025|website=Newsweek|accessdate=March 3, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/10/10/nx-s1-5133172/polls-suggest-republicans-are-making-gains-among-black-voters-especially-black-men |title=Polls suggest Republicans are making gains among Black voters — especially Black men |work=NPR |last1=Martin |first1=Michel |last2=Fadel |first2=Leila |date=October 10, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2025}}</ref>

====Black national anthem====

[[File:The Obamas sing with Smokey Robinson, Joan Baez and others, 2014.jpg|thumb|right| "[[Lift Every Voice and Sing]]" being sung by the [[family of Barack Obama]], [[Smokey Robinson]] and others in the [[White House]] in 2014]]
"[[Lift Every Voice and Sing]]" is often referred to as the Black national anthem in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jackson|first1=Jabar|last2=Martin|first2=Jill|date=July 3, 2020|title=NFL plans to play Black national anthem before Week 1 games|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/02/sport/nfl-black-national-anthem-week-1-spt-intl/index.html|access-date=July 4, 2020|website=CNN|archive-date=May 27, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527135554/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/02/sport/nfl-black-national-anthem-week-1-spt-intl/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1919, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) had dubbed it the "Negro national anthem" for its power in voicing a cry for liberation and affirmation for African-American people.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Till Victory Is Won: The Staying Power Of 'Lift Every Voice And Sing'|language=en|work=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/08/16/638324920/american-anthem-lift-every-voice-and-sing-black-national-anthem|access-date=February 22, 2022|archive-date=May 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531060339/https://www.npr.org/2018/08/16/638324920/american-anthem-lift-every-voice-and-sing-black-national-anthem|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Religion===
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Religious affiliation of African Americans in 2007<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pewforum.org/2009/01/30/a-religious-portrait-of-african-americans/|title=A Religious Portrait of African-Americans|date=January 30, 2009|website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project|access-date=November 2, 2019|archive-date=July 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721132557/https://www.pewforum.org/2009/01/30/a-religious-portrait-of-african-americans/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| label1 = [[Black Protestant]]
| value1 = 59
| color1 = DodgerBlue
| label2 = [[Evangelical Protestant]]
| value2 = 15
| color2 = Blue
| label3 = [[Mainline Protestant]]
| value3 = 4
| color3 = DeepSkyBlue
| label4 = [[Roman Catholic]]
| value4 = 5
| color4 = Indigo
| label5 = [[Jehovah's Witness]]
| value5 = 1
| color5 = DarkBlue
| label6 = Other Christian
| value6 = 1
| color6 = LightBlue
| label7 = Muslim
| value7 = 1
| color7 = Green
| label8 = Other religion
| value8 = 1
| color8 = Black
| label9 = Unaffiliated
| value9 = 11
| color9 = Honeydew
| label10 = Atheist or agnostic
| value10 = 2
| color10 = gray
}}
{{Main|Religion of Black Americans}}
{{Further|Black church|Hoodoo (folk magic)|Louisiana Voodoo}}
[[File:Mount Zion United Methodist Church - facade.JPG|thumb|[[Mount Zion United Methodist Church (Washington, D.C.)|Mount Zion United Methodist Church]] is the oldest African American congregation in Washington, D.C.]]
[[File:Malcolm Shabazz Mosque.jpg|thumb|[[Masjid Malcolm Shabazz]] in Harlem, New York City]]

The majority of African Americans are [[Protestant]], many of whom follow the historically Black churches.<ref name="PewForum">[https://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf US Religious Landscape Survey] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423044142/http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf|archive-date=2022-10-09|url-status=live|date=April 23, 2015}} The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (February 2008). Retrieved July 20, 2009.</ref> The term [[Black church]] refers to churches which minister to predominantly African American congregations. Black congregations were first established by freed slaves at the end of the 17th century, and later when slavery was abolished more African Americans were allowed to create a unique form of Christianity that was culturally influenced by African spiritual traditions.<ref>Charyn D. Sutton, [https://www.energizeinc.com/art/apas.html "The Black Church"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010002126/http://www.energizeinc.com/art/apas.html|date=October 10, 2014}}. Energize Inc. Retrieved November 18, 2009.</ref> One of these early African American Christian cultural traditions in the Black Church is the [[Watchnight service]], also called Freedom's Eve, where African American congregations all over the nation come together on New Year's Eve through New Years morning in remembrance of the eve and New Year of their emancipation, sharing testimonies, being baptized and partaking in praise and worship.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The Historical Legacy of Watch Night |url=https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-watch-night |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209203550/https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-watch-night |archive-date=December 9, 2023 |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=National Museum of African American History and Culture |language=en}}</ref>

According to a 2007 survey, more than half of the African American population are part of the historically Black churches.<ref name="religions">{{cite web |date=January 30, 2009 |title=A Religious Portrait of African-Americans |url=https://pewforum.org/A-Religious-Portrait-of-African-Americans.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425171741/http://www.pewforum.org/A-Religious-Portrait-of-African-Americans.aspx |archive-date=April 25, 2012 |access-date=April 20, 2012 |publisher=Pewforum.org}}</ref> The largest Protestant denomination among African Americans are the [[Baptists]],<ref>[[Bill J. Leonard]] (2007), ''[[iarchive:baptistsinameric0000leon/page/34/mode/2up|Baptists in America]]'', Columbia University Press, p. 34. {{ISBN|0-231-12703-0}}.</ref> distributed mainly in four denominations, the largest being the [[National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.|National Baptist Convention, USA]] and the [[National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.|National Baptist Convention of America]].<ref name="church">[https://www.ncccusa.org/news/080215yearbook1.html The NCC's 2008 Yearbook of Churches reports a wide range of health care ministries] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519163031/http://www.ncccusa.org/news/080215yearbook1.html|date=May 19, 2019}} National Council of Churches USA. February 14, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2009.</ref> The second largest are the [[Methodist]]s,<ref name="doindrugs">William Henry James, Stephen Lloyd Johnson (1997). ''Doin' drugs: patterns of African American addiction''. University of Texas Press. p. 135. {{ISBN|0-292-74041-7}}.</ref> the largest denominations are the [[African Methodist Episcopal Church]] and the [[African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church]].<ref name="church" /><ref>Roger Finke, Rodney Stark (2005). ''The Churching of America, 1776–2005: Winners and Losers in our Religious Economy''. Rutgers University Press, p. 235.</ref>

[[Pentecostalism|Pentecostals]] are distributed among several different religious bodies, with the [[Church of God in Christ]] as the largest among them by far.<ref name="church" /> About 16% of African American Christians are members of White Protestant communions,<ref name="doindrugs" /> these denominations (which include the [[United Church of Christ]]) mostly have a 2 to 3% African American membership.<ref>Alfred Abioseh Jarrett (2000). ''The Impact of Macro Social Systems on Ethnic Minorities in the United States'', Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 235. {{ISBN|0-275-93880-8}}.</ref> There are also large numbers of [[Catholic Church|Catholics]], constituting 5% of the African American population.<ref name="religions" /> Of the total number of [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], 22% are Black.<ref name="PewForum" />

Some African Americans follow [[Islam]]. Historically, between 15 and 30% of enslaved Africans brought to the Americas were [[Muslim]]s, but most of these Africans were converted to Christianity during the era of American slavery.<ref>Samuel S. Hill, Charles H. Lippy, Charles Reagan Wilson. ''Encyclopedia of religion in the South''. Mercer University Press (2005), p. 394. {{ISBN|978-0-86554-758-2}}.</ref> During the twentieth century, some African Americans converted to Islam, mainly through the influence of [[Black nationalism|Black nationalist]] groups that preached with distinctive Islamic practices; including the [[Moorish Science Temple of America]], and the largest organization, the [[Nation of Islam]], founded in the 1930s, which attracted at least 20,000 people by 1963.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lomax |title=When the Word Is Given |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |year=1979 |isbn=978-0-313-21002-0 |pages=15–16 |quote=Estimates of Black Muslim membership vary from a quarter of a million down to fifty thousand. Available evidence indicates that about one hundred thousand Negroes have joined the movement at one time or another, but few objective observers believe that the Black Muslims can muster more than twenty or twenty-five thousand active temple people.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Clegg |first=Claude Andrew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nva1ULVYh3QC |title=An Original Man: The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad |publisher=Macmillan |year=1998 |isbn=9780312181536 |page=115 |quote=The common response of Malcolm X to questions about numbers—'Those who know aren't saying, and those who say don't know'—was typical of the attitude of the leadership. |access-date=June 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107113203/https://books.google.com/books?id=nva1ULVYh3QC |archive-date=January 7, 2024 |url-status=live |authorlink=Claude Clegg}}</ref> Prominent members included activist [[Malcolm X]] and boxer [[Muhammad Ali]].<ref>Jacob Neusner, ''World Religions in America: An Introduction'', Westminster John Knox Press (2003), pp. 180–181. {{ISBN|978-0-664-22475-2}}.</ref>

[[File:Muhammad Ali NYWTS.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Muhammad Ali]] converted to Islam in 1964]]
Malcolm&nbsp;X is considered the first person to start the movement among African Americans towards mainstream Islam, after he left the Nation and made the [[Hajj|pilgrimage to Mecca]].<ref>William W. Sales (1994). ''From Civil Rights to Black Liberation: Malcolm X and the Organization of Afro-American Unity''. South End Press, p. 37. {{ISBN|978-0-89608-480-3}}.</ref> In 1975, [[Warith Deen Mohammed]], the son of [[Elijah Muhammad]] took control of the Nation after his father's death and guided the majority of its members to [[Sunni Islam|orthodox Islam]].<ref>Uzra Zeya (1990–01) [https://www.wrmea.com/backissues/0190/9001042.htm Islam in America: The Growing Presence of American Converts to Islam] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724183609/http://www.wrmea.com/backissues/0190/9001042.htm|date=July 24, 2008}} Washington Report on Middle East Reports. Retrieved November 16, 2009.</ref>

[[African-American Muslims|African American Muslims]] constitute 20% of the total [[Islam in the United States|US Muslim population]],<ref name="PewMuslim">{{cite tech report |url=https://pewresearch.org/pubs/483/muslim-americans |title=Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream |date=May 22, 2007 |access-date=November 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121125081805/http://pewresearch.org/pubs/483/muslim-americans |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 25, 2012 |publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]}}</ref> the majority are [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] or orthodox Muslims, some of these identify under the community of [[W. Deen Mohammed]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Sacirbey |first=Omar |date=September 11, 2001 |title=When Unity is Long Overdue |url=https://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Islam/2006/05/When-Unity-Is-Long-Overdue.aspx |access-date=April 20, 2012 |publisher=Beliefnet.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Terry |first=Don |date=May 3, 1993 |title=Black Muslims Enter Islamic Mainstream |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/03/us/black-muslims-enter-islamic-mainstream.html |access-date=April 20, 2012 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> The Nation of Islam led by [[Louis Farrakhan]] has a membership ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 members.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 6, 2011 |title=Farrakhan Set to Give Final Address at Nation of Islam's Birthplace |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/farrakhan-set-to-give-final-address-at-nation-of-islams-birthplace |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411224021/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,254507,00.html |archive-date=April 11, 2012 |access-date=April 20, 2012 |publisher=Fox News Channel}}</ref>

There is also a small but growing group of [[African-American Jews|African American Jews]], making up less than 0.5% of African Americans or about 2% of the [[American Jews|Jewish population in the United States]]. The majority of African-American Jews are [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi]], while smaller numbers identify as [[Sephardic Jews|Sephardi]], [[Mizrahi Jews|Mizrahi]], or other.<ref name=":0a">{{cite web |date=May 11, 2021 |title=JEWISH AMERICANS IN 2020: 9. Race, ethnicity, heritage and immigration among U.S. Jews |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/05/11/race-ethnicity-heritage-and-immigration-among-u-s-jews/ |website=Pew Research Center}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Racial and ethnic composition among Jews |url=https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/jewish/ |access-date=August 22, 2021 |publisher=[[Pew Research Center|The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gelbwasser |first=Michael |date=April 10, 1998 |title=Organization for black Jews claims 200,000 in U.S |url=https://www.jweekly.com/article/full/8029/organization-for-black-jews-claims-200-000-in-u-s/ |access-date=August 2, 2010 |website=[[J. The Jewish News of Northern California]]}}</ref> Many African-American Jews are affiliated with denominations such as the [[Reform Judaism|Reform]], [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]], [[Reconstructionist Judaism|Reconstructionist]], or [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] branches of Judaism, but the majority identify as "Jews of no religion", commonly known as secular Jews. A significant number of people who identify themselves as "Black Jews" are affiliated with [[religious syncretism|syncretic]] religious groups, largely the [[Black Hebrew Israelites]], whose beliefs include the claim that African Americans are descended from the Biblical [[Israelites]].<ref name="northstar">{{cite journal |last=Angell |first=Stephen W. |date=May 2001 |title=Black Zion: African American Religious Encounters with Judaism |url=https://northstar.vassar.edu/volume4/chireau_deutsch.html |url-status=dead |journal=The North Star |volume=4 |issue=2 |issn=1094-902X |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020040655/https://northstar.vassar.edu/volume4/chireau_deutsch.html |archive-date=October 20, 2007 |access-date=October 19, 2007}}</ref> Jews of all races typically do not accept Black Hebrew Israelites as Jews, in part because they are usually not Jewish [[who is a Jew|according to Jewish law]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Washington |first1=Robin |date=December 18, 2019 |title=Who Black Hebrew Israelites Are—And Who They Are Not |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/2019/12/18/who-black-hebrew-israelites-are-and-who-they-are-not/ |access-date=16 August 2022 |website=My Jewish Learning |publisher=70 Faces media}}</ref> and in part because these groups are sometimes associated with antisemitism.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hwang |first1=Janice |date=December 12, 2019 |title=Explainer: Who Are The Black Hebrew Israelites? |url=https://www.jta.org/2019/12/12/ny/explainer-who-are-the-black-hebrew-israelites |access-date=16 August 2022 |publisher=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |agency=New York Jewish Week}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Musodza |first1=Masimba |date=September 21, 2019 |title=The Hebrew Israelites Are A Real Threat |url=https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-hebrew-israelites-are-a-real-threat/ |access-date=16 August 2022 |work=The Times of Israel}}</ref> African-American Jews have criticized the Black Hebrew Israelites, regarding the movement as primarily composed of Black non-Jews who have appropriated Black-Jewish identity.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 16, 2020 |title=A Case of Mistaken Identity: Black Jews & Hebrew Israelites |url=https://tribeherald.com/a-case-of-mistaken-identity-black-jews-hebrew-israelites/ |accessdate=2023-05-13 |newspaper=Tribe Herald}}</ref>

Confirmed [[Atheism|atheists]] are less than one half of one percent, similar to numbers for [[Hispanic]]s.<ref>[https://www.pewforum.org/2009/01/30/a-religious-portrait-of-african-americans/ ''A Religious Portrait of African Americans''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721132557/https://www.pewforum.org/2009/01/30/a-religious-portrait-of-african-americans/|date=July 21, 2018}} Pew Research 2009</ref><ref>Sikivu Hutchinson, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/06/16/blacks-are-even-discriminated-against-by-atheists/ "Atheism has a race problem"], ''The Washington Post'', June 16, 2014.</ref><ref>Emily Brennan, [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/fashion/african-american-atheists.html "The Unbelievers"], ''The New York Times'', November 27, 2011.</ref>

===Sexuality===
{{See also|African-American LGBT community}}
According to a [[Gallup survey]], 4.6% of Black or African Americans self-identified as [[LGBT rights in the United States|LGBT]] in 2016,<ref name="More Adults" /> while the total portion of American adults in all ethnic groups identifying as LGBT was 4.1% in 2016.<ref name="More Adults">{{cite news|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/201731/lgbt-identification-rises.aspx|title=In US, More Adults Identifying as LGBT|publisher=[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]]|date=January 11, 2017|access-date=July 21, 2018|archive-date=May 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501142714/https://news.gallup.com/poll/201731/lgbt-identification-rises.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> African Americans are more likely to identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtoninformer.com/blacks-are-more-likely-to-identify-as-gay-than-any-other-group/|title=Blacks Are More Likely to Identify as Gay Than Any Other Group|website=The Washington Informer|date=October 23, 2012 }}</ref>

===Health===
{{Further|Race and health in the United States#African Americans}}
{{See also|Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on black people#United States}}

====General health====
{{See also|Alzheimer's disease in African Americans}}

The life expectancy for Black men in 2008 was 70.8 years.<ref name="Los Angeles Times">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-life-expectancy-gap-20120606-story.html |title="Life expectancy gap narrows between blacks, whites", Rosie Mestel, ''The Los Angeles Times'', June 5, 2012. |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=July 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826131902/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/05/science/la-sci-life-expectancy-gap-20120606 |archive-date=August 26, 2017 |url-status=live  |date=June 5, 2012 }}</ref> Life expectancy for Black women was 77.5 years in 2008.<ref name="Los Angeles Times"/> In 1900, when information on Black life expectancy started being collated, a Black man could expect to live to 32.5 years and a Black woman 33.5 years.<ref name="Los Angeles Times"/> In 1900, White men lived an average of 46.3 years and White women lived an average of 48.3 years.<ref name="Los Angeles Times"/> African American life expectancy at birth is persistently five to seven years lower than [[European Americans]].<ref name="lavest">{{Cite journal|author=LaVeist TA|title=Racial segregation and longevity among African Americans: an individual-level analysis|journal=Health Services Research|volume=38|issue=6 Pt 2|pages=1719–33|date=December 2003|pmid=14727794|pmc=1360970|doi=10.1111/j.1475-6773.2003.00199.x}}</ref> Black men have shorter lifespans than any other group in the US besides Native American men.<ref name="Gilbert">{{cite journal|doi=10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032315-021556|doi-access=free|title=Visible and Invisible Trends in Black Men's Health: Pitfalls and Promises for Addressing Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Inequities in Health|year=2016|last1=Gilbert|first1=Keon L.|last2=Ray|first2=Rashawn|last3=Siddiqi|first3=Arjumand|last4=Shetty|first4=Shivan|last5=Baker|first5=Elizabeth A.|last6=Elder|first6=Keith|last7=Griffith|first7=Derek M.|journal=Annual Review of Public Health|volume=37|pages=295–311|pmid=26989830|pmc=6531286}}</ref>

Black people have higher rates of [[obesity]], [[diabetes]], and [[hypertension]] than the US average.<ref name="Los Angeles Times"/> For adult Black men, the rate of obesity was 31.6% in 2010.<ref name="cdc.gov">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_252.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_252.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=CDC 2012. Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: 2010, p. 107}}</ref> For adult Black women, the rate of obesity was 41.2% in 2010.<ref name="cdc.gov"/> African Americans have higher rates of mortality than any other racial or ethnic group for 8 of the top 10 causes of death.<ref name=hummer2004>{{Cite journal|vauthors=Hummer RA, Ellison CG, Rogers RG, Moulton BE, Romero RR |s2cid=6053725|title=Religious involvement and adult mortality in the United States: review and perspective|journal=Southern Medical Journal|volume=97|issue=12|pages=1223–30|date=December 2004|pmid=15646761|doi=10.1097/01.SMJ.0000146547.03382.94}}</ref> In 2013, among men, Black men had the highest rate of getting cancer, followed by White, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI), and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) men. Among women, White women had the highest rate of getting cancer, followed by Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/race.htm|title=Cancer Rates by Race/Ethnicity and Sex|website=Cancer Prevention and Control|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|date=June 21, 2016|access-date=February 24, 2017|archive-date=February 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225051734/https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/race.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> African Americans also have higher prevalence and incidence of Alzheimer's disease compared to the overall average.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2020-03-10 |title=2020 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures |journal=Alzheimer's & Dementia |language=en |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=391–460 |doi=10.1002/alz.12068 |pmid=32157811 |s2cid=212666886 |issn=1552-5260|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mayeda |first1=Elizabeth Rose |last2=Glymour |first2=M Maria |last3=Quesenberry |first3=Charles P |last4=Whitmer |first4=Rachel A |date=2016-02-11 |title=Inequalities in dementia incidence between six racial and ethnic groups over 14 years |journal=Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=216–224 |doi=10.1016/j.jalz.2015.12.007 |issn=1552-5260 |pmc=4969071 |pmid=26874595}}</ref>

African-Americans are more likely than White Americans to die due to health-related problems developed by [[alcoholism]]. Alcohol abuse is the main contributor to the top 3 causes of death among African Americans.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/african-americans-alcohol/ | title=African-Americans and Alcohol | access-date=November 23, 2023 | archive-date=November 23, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123144917/https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/african-americans-alcohol/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2020, African Americans were less likely to be [[COVID-19 vaccine|vaccinated]] against [[COVID-19]] due to mistrust in the US medical system. From 2021 to 2022, there was an increase in African Americans who became vaccinated.<ref>{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Steven |date=January 24, 2022 |title=Study: Black Americans Beat Back Vaccine Hesitancy Faster Than Whites |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-01-24/black-americans-beat-vaccine-hesitancy-faster-than-whites |access-date=March 2, 2022 |website=U.S. News & World Report |archive-date=March 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302090102/https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-01-24/black-americans-beat-vaccine-hesitancy-faster-than-whites |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/06/04/black-americans-face-higher-covid-19-risks-are-more-hesitant-to-trust-medical-scientists-get-vaccinated/|title=Black Americans face higher COVID-19 risks, are more hesitant to trust medical scientists, get vaccinated|first1=John|last1=Gramlich|first2=Cary|last2=Funk|date=June 4, 2020 |access-date=January 28, 2022|archive-date=January 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128122957/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/06/04/black-americans-face-higher-covid-19-risks-are-more-hesitant-to-trust-medical-scientists-get-vaccinated/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Sweta |last=Haldar |date=February 2, 2022 |title=Latest Data on COVID-19 Vaccinations by Race/Ethnicity |url=https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/latest-data-on-covid-19-vaccinations-by-race-ethnicity/ |access-date=March 2, 2022 |website=KFF |language=en-US |archive-date=March 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302054432/https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/latest-data-on-covid-19-vaccinations-by-race-ethnicity/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Still, in 2022, COVID-19 complications became the third leading cause of death for African Americans.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nul.org/news/new-report-states-covid-19-third-leading-cause-death-black-americans |title=New Report States COVID-19 Is Third-Leading Cause of Death for Black Americans |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128122738/https://nul.org/news/new-report-states-covid-19-third-leading-cause-death-black-americans |url-status=live }}</ref>

Violence is a major problem within the African American community.<ref name="lacasa.org">{{cite web | url=https://www.lacasa.org/blog/2023/2/22/black-history-month-shining-a-light-on-domestic-violence-in-the-african-american-community | title=Shining a Light on Domestic Violence in the African American Community | date=February 22, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Disproportionate Impact of Gun Violence on Black Americans |url=https://www.bradyunited.org/resources/research/disproportionate-impact-gun-violence-black-americans#:~:text=Despite%20accounting%20for%20only%2014,the%20disparities%20are%20even%20higher |website=www.bradyunited.org}}</ref> A report from the [[US Department of Justice]] states "In 2005, homicide victimization rates for Blacks were 6 times higher than the rates for whites".<ref name="Homicide trends in the US">[https://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/race.htm Homicide trends in the US] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061212100248/https://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/race.htm|date=December 12, 2006}}, US Department of Justice</ref> The report also found that "94% of Black victims were killed by Blacks."<ref name="Homicide trends in the US"/> Of the nearly 20,000 recorded US homicides in 2022, African Americans made up the majority of offenders and victims despite making up less than 20% of the population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/251877/murder-victims-in-the-us-by-race-ethnicity-and-gender/|title=Number of murder victims in the United States in 2022, by race|date=February 13, 2024|work=Statista}}</ref> In 2024, all of the top 5 most dangerous US cities have a significant Black population and disturbing Black-on-Black violent crime rate.<ref>{{cite web |title=Most Dangerous Places in the U.S. in 2024-2025 |url=https://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/most-dangerous-places |website=realestate.usnews.com}}</ref> Black males age 15–44 are the only race/sex category for which homicide is a top 5 cause of death.<ref name="Gilbert"/> Black women are 3 times more likely to be killed by an intimate partner than white women.<ref name="lacasa.org"/> Black children are 3 times more likely to die due to parental abuse and neglect than white children.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/255032/number-of-child-fatalities-due-to-abuse-or-maltreatment-in-the-us-by-race-ethnicity/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20around%20457%20African,1%2C000%20children%20for%20white%20children | title=Number of fatalities from child abuse by race U.S. 2022 }}</ref>

====Sexual health====
According to the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]], African Americans have higher rates of [[sexually transmitted infections]] (STIs) compared to Whites, with 5 times the rates of [[syphilis]] and [[Chlamydia infection|chlamydia]], and 7.5 times the rate of [[gonorrhea]].<ref>{{cite web |title=STDs in Racial and Ethnic Minorities |url=https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats17/minorities.htm |website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2017 |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=June 22, 2019 |date=June 17, 2019 |archive-date=June 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616010330/https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats17/minorities.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The disproportionately high incidence of [[HIV/AIDS in the United States|HIV/AIDS among African Americans]] has been attributed to [[Homophobia in the African American community|homophobic]] influences and lack of proper healthcare.<ref>{{cite news|title=Homophobia in Black Communities Means More Young Men Get AIDS|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=November 22, 2013|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/events/archive/2013/11/homophobia-in-black-communities-means-more-young-men-get-aids/281741/|access-date=January 21, 2014|archive-date=January 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140127194146/http://www.theatlantic.com/events/archive/2013/11/homophobia-in-black-communities-means-more-young-men-get-aids/281741/|url-status=live}}</ref> The prevalence of [[HIV/AIDS]] among Black men is seven times higher than the prevalence for White men, and Black men are more than nine times as likely to die from HIV/AIDS-related illness than White men.<ref name="Gilbert"/>  The prevalence of HIV/AIDS among Black women is 20 times higher than White women, and Black women are more than 15 times as likely to die from HIV/AIDS-related illness than White women.<ref>{{cite journal | pmc=2684462 | date=2008 | last1=Tillerson | first1=K. | title=Explaining racial disparities in HIV/AIDS incidence among women in the U.S.: A systematic review | journal=Statistics in Medicine | volume=27 | issue=20 | pages=4132–4143 | doi=10.1002/sim.3224 | pmid=18551508 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/hivaids-and-african-americans | title=HIV/AIDS and African Americans &#124; Office of Minority Health }}</ref>

==== Mental health ====
African Americans have several [[Obstacles to receiving mental health services among African American youth|barriers for accessing mental health]] services. [[Mental health counselor|Counseling]] has been frowned upon and distant in utility and proximity to many people in the African American community. In 2004, a qualitative research study explored the disconnect with African Americans and mental health. The study was conducted as a semi-structured discussion which allowed the focus group to express their opinions and life experiences. The results revealed a couple key variables that create barriers for many African American communities to seek mental health services such as the stigma, lack of four important necessities; trust, affordability, cultural understanding and impersonal services.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Thompson|first1=Vetta L. Sanders|last2=Bazile|first2=Anita|last3=Akbar|first3=Maysa|year=2004|title=African Americans' Perceptions of Psychotherapy and Psychotherapists.|journal=Professional Psychology: Research and Practice|volume=35|issue=1|pages=19–26|doi=10.1037/0735-7028.35.1.19|issn=1939-1323|citeseerx=10.1.1.515.2135}}</ref>

Historically, many African American communities did not seek counseling because religion was a part of the family values.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Turner|first=Natalie|title=Mental Health Care Treatment Seeking Among African Americans and Caribbean Blacks: What is The Role of Religiosity/Spirituality?|journal=Aging and Mental Health|volume=23|issue=7|pages=905–911|doi=10.1080/13607863.2018.1453484|pmid=29608328|year=2018|pmc=6168439|url=https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=honorscollege_sw|access-date=July 12, 2019|archive-date=April 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429074817/https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=honorscollege_sw|url-status=live}}</ref> African American who have a faith background are more likely to seek prayer as a coping mechanism for mental issues rather than seeking professional mental health services.<ref name=":0" /> In 2015 a study concluded, African Americans with high value in religion are less likely to utilize mental health services compared to those who have low value in religion.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lukachko|first1=Alicia|last2=Myer|first2=Ilan|last3=Hankerson|first3=Sidney|date=August 1, 2015|title=Religiosity and Mental Health Service Use Among African-americans|journal=The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease|volume=203|issue=8|pages=578–582|doi=10.1097/NMD.0000000000000334|issn=0022-3018|pmc=4535188|pmid=26172387}}</ref>

In the United States, counseling approaches are based on the experience of [[White Americans]] and do not fit within the African American culture. African American families tend to resolve concerns within the family, and it is viewed by the family as a strength. On the other hand, when African Americans seek counseling, they face a social backlash and are criticized. They may be labeled "crazy", viewed as weak, and their pride is diminished.<ref name=":0" /> Because of this, many African Americans instead seek mentorship within communities they trust.

Terminology is another barrier in relation to African Americans and mental health. There is more stigma on the term ''[[psychotherapy]]'' versus counseling. In one study, psychotherapy is associated with mental illness whereas counseling approaches problem-solving, guidance and help.<ref name=":0" /> More African Americans seek assistance when it is called counseling and not psychotherapy because it is more welcoming within the cultural and community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A19573641/AONE|title='Don't Show Weakness:' Black Americans Still Shy Away from Psychotherapy|last=Leland|first=John|date=December 8, 2018|magazine=Newsweek|access-date=September 11, 2020|archive-date=January 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107112648/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&id=GALE%7CA19573641&v=2.1&it=r&userGroupName=anon%7E4c6b23c&aty=open-web-entry|url-status=live}}</ref> Counselors are encouraged to be aware of such barriers for the well-being of African American clients. Without [[Cultural competence in healthcare|cultural competency]] training in health care, many African Americans go unheard and misunderstood.<ref name=":0" />

In 2021, African Americans had the third highest [[suicide]] rate trailing American Indians/Alaska Natives and White Americans. However, African Americans had the second highest increase of its suicide rate from 2011 to 2021, growing 58%.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://andscape.com/features/suicide-rates-among-black-americans-are-increasing-by-double-digits/ | title=Suicide rates among Black Americans are increasing by double digits | date=September 11, 2023 | access-date=November 24, 2023 | archive-date=November 24, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124205820/https://andscape.com/features/suicide-rates-among-black-americans-are-increasing-by-double-digits/ | url-status=live }}</ref> As of 2024, suicide is the second leading cause of death among African-Americans between the ages of 15 and 24, with Black men being four times more likely to kill themselves than Black women.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hataway |first1=Leigh |title=Young Black men are dying by suicide at alarming rates |url=https://news.uga.edu/young-black-men-dying-by-suicide-at-alarming-rates/ |work=UGA Today |date=26 March 2024}}</ref>