BLAC America Begins Here

Every story starts somewhere.

Sometimes it starts with a person.

Sometimes it starts with a place.

Sometimes it starts with a single number.

BLAC America starts with a question.

Who are we?

Not as a headline.

Not as a stereotype.

Not as a political talking point.

As people.

According to recent U.S. Census data, nearly 50 million Americans identify as Black alone or in combination with another race. We live in every state. We serve in every branch of the military. We own businesses, teach classrooms, write code, build homes, raise families, create art, and shape communities across the country.

That’s the number.

The story is everything behind it.

BLAC America exists to connect those two things.

Some days we’ll start with a map.

Other days we’ll start with a photograph.

Sometimes we’ll start with a chart that raises more questions than it answers.

Where are Black-owned businesses growing?

Why were HBCUs created?

How has homeownership changed over the last 100 years?

What happened during the Great Migration?

Why do some cities tell a different story than others?

We won’t rush to conclusions.

We’ll follow the evidence.

We’ll link to the original research.

We’ll show our work.

Every article is built from the best data we can find. When there is a primary source, we’ll use it. When experts disagree, we’ll explain why. When better information becomes available, we’ll update the story.

Because understanding starts with trust.

BLAC America isn’t meant to settle every debate.

It’s meant to give us a better place to begin one.

Welcome to BLAC America.

Let’s explore.

Sources

Population data:
U.S. Census Bureau
Pew Research Center

Historical records:
Library of Congress
National Archives
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Education:
National Center for Education Statistics

Economics:
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Federal Reserve
Small Business Administration

Explore the Atlas

BLAC America: By the Numbers