6 facts about black Americans for Black History Month
Since 1976, Black History Month has been celebrated every February to commemorate the accomplishments of black Americans throughout history. Over the past 40 years, blacks have made progress on several fronts, including educational attainment and representation in Congress. Yet large racial gaps persist in areas such as wealth and poverty, and concerns remain about the state of race relations in the country.
Here are six facts about black Americans:
1) A growing share of blacks are completing high school and college, yet blacks lag behind whites in college completion.
2) The share of blacks in Congress is at an all-time high.
3) A growing share of the U.S. black population is foreign born.
4) Large gaps persist between blacks and whites on measures of wealth and income.
5) Blacks are the only major racial or ethnic group for whom Barack Obama’s election rivals 9/11 in historical significance.
6) Only about a third of blacks say race relations in the U.S. are good.
By Kristen Bialik and Anthony Cilluffo