Migration
Source: Levinson, 1998, p. 391
African Americans were once largely a rural and southern population, but following Reconstruction in the South in 1870, a mass migration to the North began, and the majority of African Americans now live in the North and in cities. From the 1960s on, as whites left the cities for the suburbs, the percentage of African Americans in cities increased, and in many cities today, African Americans are the largest ethnic group (however, this is not the case in Utica; see "Statistical Information" further down for more data). They are heavily concentrated in inner-city neighborhoods, often labeled ghettos, and over 66% of African American children attend schools with a majority of African American students. The history of African Americans in the United States is one of racism, segregation, and discrimination. Despite the civil rights movement, which gained momentum in the late 1950s, and numerous new laws and court decisions, African Americans are the poorest ethnic group in the nation, with 33% living below the poverty line, compared with 14% of whites.

Population
Source: Asante, 1991, p. 10
The 1990 population of African Americans is estimated to be 35 million; African Americans constitute about 12% of the American population.

Socioeconomic Status
Source: Asante, 1991, p. 12
African Americans can be found in every stratum of the American population. However, it remains a fact that the vast majority of African Americans are outside of the social culture of the dominant society in the United States.

Local Demographics
Source: Zielbauer, 1999, p. B1.
Utica, a town built on the sweat of Italian, Irish, and Polish immigrants, is now basing its future on newly arrived refugees from Bosnia, Belarus, and Vietnam. After a decades-long drain of factory jobs and people – the city's population, which was 125,000 in 1960, dropped to 92,000 by 1975 and is now down to 64,000 – city officials and local business leaders believe such refugees are Utica's best chance for prosperity. Racial problems, however, have become more widespread, as black residents grow increasingly sensitive to the perception that the refugees get preferential treatment in jobs and housing.

Statistical Information
Source: CMVAC (Central Mohawk Valley Alliance Communities)

Population: Utica-Rome

• Population (1996): 302,405
• Population growth (1990-1996): -2.8%
• Projected population growth (1996-2002): 3.9%
• Median age (1997): 36.5 years
• Population breakdown by age (1996):
  • 17 and under: 25.6%
  • 18 to 34 years: 23.1%
  • 35 to 54 years: 26.9%
  • 55 to 74 years: 17.1%
  • 75 years and older: 7.3%
• Population breakdown by gender (1998):
  • Male: 146,623
  • Female: 147,664
• Population breakdown by race (1994):
  • White: 96.1%
  • Black: 3.2%
  • Hispanic: 1.7%
  • Asian or Pacific Islander: 0.7%
  • American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut: 0.2%

Income: Utica-Rome

• Median household income (1993): $28,477
• Per capita personal income (1994):
  • Local: $18,253
  • National: $21,696

Labor and Workforce: Utica-Rome

• Civilian labor force (1996): 141,844
• Unemployment rate (1996): 5.9%
• Employment by industry:
  • Construction: 3.8%
  • Manufacturing: 14.2%
  • Transportation/Public Utilities: 3.2%
  • Wholesale: 3.2%
  • Retail: 17.2%
  • Service: 27.2%
  • FIRE (finance, insurance, real estate): 7.2%
  • Government: 21.4%
• Labor participation rate:
  • Males in workforce (1990): 48.95%
  • Females in workforce (1990): 41.88%
  • Total workforce (1990): 45.37%

Education: Utica-Rome

• Educational attainment of population 18 years and above:
  • Less than 12 years: 24.9%
  • 12-15 years: 60.6%
  • 16 years or more: 14.4%
• Education level of the population:
  • High school graduate (1990): 73.9%
  • With bachelor's degree (1990): 14.8%