African Americans in Wisconsin
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The term African American or Black refers to a person having origins in any of the
black racial groups in Africa. For the purpose of this Web site, these two
terms are used interchangeably.
African Americans are the largest racial/ethnic minority in Wisconsin and
constituted 6.1 percent of the Wisconsin population in 2007.
African Americans have lived in Wisconsin since the early 18th century,
when they participated in the fur trade. Many came in the 1820s and 1830s as
slaves belonging to southern lead miners, and before the Civil War several
communities of black farmers from the South were established in western
Wisconsin. Many African Americans, including escaping slaves, also came to
Wisconsin cities during the Civil War era. Black (male) citizens were given
the right to vote in a Wisconsin referendum held in 1849, though this right
was not implemented until 1866.
After World War I increasing numbers of African Americans came to
Wisconsin from southern states, though the major migration of black citizens
only occurred after World War II. Most encountered segregation in housing,
education, and employment, and many black residents of Wisconsin spent the
subsequent decades redressing these injustices.
In 2007, more than 80 percent of Wisconsin's African American population
lived in five cities: Milwaukee, Racine, Madison, Kenosha and Green Bay, with
Milwaukee home to 68 percent of the state's African Americans. Thirty-nine
percent of Milwaukee's population was African American in 2007, which placed
Milwaukee fifth among U.S. cities of at least 600,000 people, behind Detroit
(83% African American), Baltimore (64%), Memphis (62%) and Philadelphia
(44%).
Additional information about African Americans in Wisconsin:
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please write to:
Fabienne Ouapou-Lena.
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Last Revised: January 29, 2010
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