African Americans, also referred to as Black Americans or Afro-Americans, are citizens of the United States who have total or partial antebellum ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa.[3][4][5] African Americans constitute the second largest racial and ethnic minority in the United States.[6] Most African Americans are of West and Central African descent and are descendants of enslaved blacks within the boundaries of the present United States.[7][8] However, some immigrants from African, Caribbean, Central American, and South American nations, and their descendants, may be identified or self-identify with the term.[5] African-American history starts in the 16th century, with Africans forcibly taken to Spanish and English colonies in North America as slaves. After the founding of the United States, black people continued to be enslaved and treated as inferiors. These circumstances were changed by Reconstruction, development of the black community, participation in the great military conflicts of the United States, the elimination of racial segregation, and the Civil Rights Movement. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American to be elected president of the United States.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 13:13:12 +0000
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