African Americans

African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an <a href="/facts/Race_and_ethnicity_in_the_United_States/z6SSUuvf">American racial and ethnic group</a> that consists of <a href="/facts/Americans/srd9GJ5U">Americans</a> who have total or partial ancestry from any of the <a href="/facts/Black_people/khyfdI6h">Black</a> racial groups of <a href="/facts/Africa/XkqQUP9s">Africa</a>. African Americans constitute the second largest racial and ethnic group in the U.S. after <a href="/facts/White_Americans/H6ToYC5Q">White Americans</a>. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of <a href="/facts/Slavery_in_the_United_States/CduIa8do">Africans enslaved in the United States</a>. In 2023, an estimated 48.3 million people self-identified as Black, making up 14.4% of the country’s population. This marks a 33% increase since 2000, when there were 36.2 million Black people living in the U.S.
<a href="/facts/African-American_history/FJwDrNqb">African-American history</a> began in the 16th century, when <a href="/facts/Slavery_in_Africa/vfYMc0c6">African slave traders</a> sold African artisans, farmers, and warriors to <a href="/facts/Atlantic_slave_trade/No8T5Jhl">European slave traders</a>, who <a href="/facts/Middle_Passage/W47KJjQ1">transported them across the Atlantic</a> to <a href="/facts/Slavery_in_the_colonial_history_of_the_United_States/9Iqt7cUL">the Western Hemisphere</a>. They were <a href="/facts/Slavery_in_the_colonial_history_of_the_United_States/9Iqt7cUL">sold as slaves</a> to European colonists and put to work on <a href="/facts/Plantation/jucwoWpV">plantations</a>, particularly <a href="/facts/Plantation_complexes_in_the_Southern_United_States/Bl3bbAyX">in the southern colonies</a>. A few were able to achieve freedom through <a href="/facts/Manumission/q0qwd8nv">manumission</a> or escape, and founded independent communities before and during the <a href="/facts/American_Revolution/zy1F0LxK">American Revolution</a>. After the United States was founded in 1783, most <a href="/facts/Slavery_in_the_United_States/CduIa8do">Black people continued to be enslaved</a>, primarily concentrated in the <a href="/facts/Southern_United_States/ppnGuAtB">American South</a>, with four million enslaved people only <a href="/facts/Thirteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution/rMnQXTxc">liberated</a> with the <a href="/facts/American_Civil_War/A9FT3ksD">Civil War</a> in 1865. During <a href="/facts/Reconstruction_Era/W6lgbxvn">Reconstruction</a>, they gained <a href="/facts/Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution/TXMVRymL">citizenship</a> and adult-males the <a href="/facts/Fifteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution/x1huEFNz">right to vote</a>; however, due to widespread <a href="/facts/White_supremacy_in_the_United_States/RBQEYS2y">White supremacy</a>, they were treated as <a href="/facts/Second-class_citizen/DCHHdNcA">second-class citizens</a> and soon <a href="/facts/Disfranchisement_after_the_Reconstruction_era/fx6eoAYg">disenfranchised in the South</a>. These circumstances changed due to participation in the <a href="/facts/Military_history_of_African_Americans/K8Y55S3W">military conflicts of the United States</a>, substantial <a href="/facts/Great_Migration_(African_American)/q5Cvobkb">migration out of the South</a>, the elimination of legal <a href="/facts/Racial_segregation_in_the_United_States/AHovv4q6">racial segregation</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Civil_rights_movement/llwscvvR">civil rights movement</a> which sought political and social freedom. However, <a href="/facts/Racism_against_African_Americans/jS8hdx1m">racism against African Americans</a> and <a href="/facts/Racial_inequality_in_the_United_States/Y6kDT0hw">racial socioeconomic disparity</a> remain a problem into the 21st century.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, immigration has played an increasingly significant role in the African-American community. As of 2022, 10% of the U.S. Black population were immigrants, and 20% were either immigrants or the children of immigrants.
<a href="/facts/African-American_culture/anuqQ15t">African-American culture</a> has had a significant influence on worldwide culture, making numerous contributions to <a href="/facts/African-American_art/o2D5MMab">visual arts</a>, <a href="/facts/African-American_literature/lc9UdEEg">literature</a>, the English language, <a href="/facts/Africana_philosophy/9svoyUug">philosophy</a>, politics, <a href="/facts/Soul_food/PbfB8asa">cuisine</a>, <a href="/facts/African_Americans_in_sports/zkobc9Qp">sports</a>, and <a href="/facts/African-American_music/phz7Pbkk">music</a>. The African-American contribution to popular music is so profound that most <a href="/facts/Music_of_the_United_States/jEE0JFKm">American music</a>, including <a href="/facts/Jazz/lmUzXGq8">jazz</a>, <a href="/facts/Gospel_music/KSumCkFG">gospel</a>, <a href="/facts/Blues/f2WSr9QQ">blues</a>, <a href="/facts/Rock_and_roll/hNDC5KwW">rock and roll</a>, <a href="/facts/Funk/NVuzVek1">funk</a>, <a href="/facts/Disco/BQu4rHxV">disco</a>, <a href="/facts/House_music/2UFwER68">house</a>, <a href="/facts/Techno/BBqWRxmt">techno</a>, <a href="/facts/Hip_hop_music/0lsHpwAD">hip hop</a>, <a href="/facts/Rhythm_and_blues/UT5v5rXb">R&B</a>, <a href="/facts/Trap_music/D9h4hpwW">trap</a>, and <a href="/facts/Soul_music/y68RPFIa">soul</a>, has its origins either partially or entirely in the African-American community.

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African Americans