Who Are They?

The U.S. Black population is growing increasingly affluent and culturally influential. Here you’ll find the latest demographic and lifestyle data on this powerful consumer category and its various sub-segments. Covering the full spectrum of the Black population, we break it down by gender, age and country of origin, and present important differences that impact purchasing behavior and inform marketing efforts.

Men

There is no better time to focus on the African-American male. Education and professional achievements have positively impacted their incomes and many have achieved prominent roles in business, politics, sports, entertainment, and other arenas.  Marketers who make the effort to target the segment intelligently can enhance the profitability and visibility of their brand initiatives. But most Black men feel that mainstream marketing does not speak to their lifestyles and want to see more positive images of themselves and the progress they have made. The articles in this section offer an in-depth and insightful view of the African-American male’s changing profile and help marketers unveil new areas of business growth, increase market share and preempt the competition.

Women

Black women are multi-dimensional, highly active consumers, whose definition of success includes owning their own businesses, accomplishing educational, career and financial goals and connecting to their cultural heritage. Black women are more than three times as likely to be the head of their household in comparison to the general population, and are more likely to be the primary decision maker across a wide variety of product categories. The Black woman is the key gatekeeper to reach Black households. The articles in this section will help marketers effectively target this increasingly educated, affluent and discriminating segment.

Youth

African American youth are a key group to monitor and to target—they are active consumers and bellwethers for the trends followed by many other consumer segments. This is a highly connected population segment that that avidly consumes entertainment content. Internet penetration is at nearly 100%, although only about half access the web through a home computer and the rest via mobile. Importantly, parents and guardians continue to inspire, motivate and earn the respect of this younger segment. The high regard that urban youth have for their parents and guardians links them to their history, and ensures that they will continue to maintain their unique identity and perspective.

Households

Black families in the U.S. are a heterogeneous and expanding group. Between 2004 and 2009, the number of all households rose 4.6% while the number of African-American households increased 7.8%! In this section, explore the ever-evolving complexities of Black family life, including cultural diversity within the community, family structure and its high degree of connectedness, the broadening role of religion, and negotiating race within the broader society. Discover what kind of media programming Black families would like to see, and what gaps they believe exist in today’s programming environment. 

GLBT

African-American GL identity is multi- faceted. In this section, you’ll learn about the myriad elements that contribute to Black GLBT identity, including ethnicity, family and parenthood, spirituality and the church, the role of profession and generational differences. Discover how African American GLs view their representation in the media, how they aspire to be portrayed, and how brands can most effectively appeal to this important market segment.

Income

In spite of the severe impact of the 2007-2009 recession, Black buying power has continued to rise. Many factors drive this gain, including an upsurge in Black entrepreneurial activity, increased educational achievement and a larger proportion of Blacks entering the workforce for the first time or moving up from entry-level jobs. Growth in household income among middle income African Americans exceeded that of total U.S. households over the past five years. Blacks’ economic clout energizes the U.S. consumer market and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

 
Geography

Two major movements have shifted the landscape African American geography. The first is a move Westward and Southward. One in ten African Americans now resides in the West and the South, where at least four million Americans have moved over the past decade, is now home for the majority of African Americans. The second significant shift is a move to the suburbs—by 2015, more than half of African-American households will live in a metropolitan suburb.
In this section, explore in-depth data and discover the trends influencing today’s geographic landscape.

Immigrants

While more than 92% of the Black population consists of native-born U.S. citizens, two small but distinct immigrant groups bring an alternative cultural and historical perspective to America. According to the Census, nearly 11.2% of Black residents were foreign-born in 2010, up from 7.4% in 1990. Caribbean and African immigrants do not share the legacy of slavery with their American counterparts and come from countries in which Black people are the powerful majority. As a result these immigrants expect less racism and view their interactions with White people as being based on their individuality, rather than on their race.
Caribbean immigrants tend to live separately from both White and Black communities. They are generally well-educated, middle-class and loyal consumers. Learn about the specific geographic areas in which these immigrant communities are clustered, their unique psychographic profiles and how to target them most effectively.