WASHINGTON-On Aug. 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to more than 200,000 people from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. His famous “I Have a Dream” speech and the march were key moments in the American Civil Rights Movement. To mark the anniversary, the U.S. Census Bureau has gathered key statistics that measure changes in some aspects of the black population to date.
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Population:
1963 there were 230,255,067 total estimated black population in the United States (10.7% estimated)
2012 there were 44,456,009 total estimated black population in the United States(14.2% estimated)
SOURCES/U.S. GOVERMENT CENSUS
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Voting:
1964 /58.5% of the total black population 18 years and older who voted in the presidential election. With 69.3% of the total U.S. population 18 and older who voted in the presidential election.
2012/62% of the total black population 18 years and older who voted in the presidential election. With 56.5% of the total U.S. population 18 years and older who voted in the presidential election.
SOURCES/U.S.GOVERNMENT CENSUS
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President Barack Obama
There has been tremendous progress over the past 50 years. The diversity that we see in the classrooms and
Penny Pritzker-Secretary of Commerce
boardrooms around the country is a testament to that. And that impulse towards making sure everybody gets a fair shot is one that found expression in the Civil Rights Movement, but then spread to include Latinos and immigrants and gays and lesbians. “As we reflect back on the progress made over the last five decades, there still remains a lot of work to ensure that everyone who works hard can succeed, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation,” Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said in an anniversary statement.
On August 23, President Obama signed a Presidential Proclamation commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March in 1963.
