Origins & History
African Americans are a distinct ethnic group in the United States, descended predominantly from enslaved Africans brought to the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries. Their history includes over two centuries of enslavement, the Civil War and Emancipation (1865), the Jim Crow era, the Great Migration to northern cities, and the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. African American culture has profoundly shaped American music, literature, and social movements.
Geographic Distribution
There are approximately 47 million African Americans in the United States, forming around 14 percent of the population. The largest populations live in the southern states (particularly Georgia, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Louisiana), the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest (New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania), and California.
Diaspora & Migration
Because African Americans are a diaspora group themselves, their outward migration is smaller than for many groups but exists. Notable African American communities live in Canada, Ghana (through recent return migration), Liberia (historically), the United Kingdom, and France. Cultural influence extends far beyond these direct communities.
About This Map
This map shows crowd perceptions of African American populations. Because African American identity is specifically tied to the United States, votes are expected to concentrate there, with limited but real spread to other Anglophone countries.
The map above shows crowd opinion, not official demographic data. Vote on the main map to contribute your own perception of where African Americans populations live.