Black History Facts

Black History Facts - According to the Library of Congress, the Black History Month has its roots in what is called the Week of Black History. In 1925, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian who founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, proposed the week of Black History as a way to encourage people to learn more about Black History. He chose a week in February that included the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and black abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

The History Week was celebrated the first Black in February 1926. “The response has been overwhelming,” says the Library of Congress. “Clubs Black History rose, teachers demanded materials to instruct their pupils, and progressive whites, not simply white scholars and philanthropists, stepped forward to continue effort. ”

In early 1970, the Week of Black History was renamed Black History Week “to reflect the change in language used to describe African-Americans. Then in 1976, that America has seen its bicentennial, the week of Black History has been expanded to the entire month that we celebrate today.

Each February since 1976, the U.S. president issues a proclamation declaring the second month of the year’s History Month or African-American History Month.

To commemorate and celebrate the contributions made to our country by people of African descent, American historian Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week. The first celebration occurred February 12, 1926. For many years the second week of February was set aside for this celebration coincides with the birthdays of abolitionist / editor Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, as part of the bicentennial of the nation, the week was expanded into Black History Month. Each year, the Presidents of the United States proclaimed that February National African American History Month.

The population figures presented here are based on various sources, but not on the 2010 census. We expect to publish the 2010 figures for black people and other races by April 1, 2011.

On July 1, 2009, the estimated population of black residents in the United States, including more than one race. They made up 13.6 percent of the total population of the United States. This figure represents an increase of more than half a million residents a year earlier.

Percentage of population that was black in Mississippi in 2009. Although New York had the largest number of blacks of any state, Mississippi had the highest proportion of blacks in the total population. Blacks also made up more than a quarter of the population of Louisiana (33 percent), Georgia (31 percent), Maryland (31 percent), South Carolina (29 percent) and Alabama (27 percent). They accounted for 55 percent of the population in the District of Columbia.

Number of states where blacks were the largest minority group in 2009. These include Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Blacks were also the largest minority group in the District of Columbia. (Note: Minorities are part of a group other than single-race non-Hispanic white.)