14.5: African Americans
California has 2.3 million African Americans as of 2010, the largest population of black or African Americans of the Western U.S states, and the 5 th largest black population in the United States. Cities that have the largest share of African Americans and have historically been black cultural centers include (11 largest in the state): Compton, Inglewood, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Richmond, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Vallejo.
Most African Americans in California have origins from Southern states like Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
There are many other cities and towns in the state with sizeable African American populations. These include:
- Northern California : Berkeley, Dublin, East Palo Alto, Emeryville, Fairfield, Hayward, Marin City, San Leandro, and Suisun City.
- Central California : Bakersfield, Fresno, Kings-Tulare counties, Merced, Modesto, and Stockton.
- Southern California : Adelanto, Altadena, Apple Valley, California City, Carson, Corona, Desert Hot Springs, Fontana, Gardena, Hawthorne, Lakewood, Lancaster, Lynwood, Moreno Valley, National City, Oceanside, Palmdale, Palm Springs, Pasadena, Perris, Pomona, Rialto, Twentynine Palms, and Victorville.
African Americans are approximately 7% of the state population. The state percentage has dropped in the 1990s and 2000s, though the state's overall number of African Americans has increased in that time. The black population in East and West Oakland and South-Central Los Angeles - places where they held the majority for decades - has greatly decreased as the black middle class has relocated to nearby suburbs, including those in the Inland Empire and Antelope Valley in Southern California and the Sacramento metropolitan area in Northern California. Many African Americans have also moved to the South, where their grandparents may have come from in the "Great Migration" of the mid-20th century.
African Americans have made important contributions to the state's hip-hop and R&B music culture. African American musical artists born and/or raised in California include: Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, E-40, Nate Dogg, En Vogue, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Too Short, Eazy-E, N.W.A, Keyshia Cole, Digital Underground, JJ Fad, Barry White, The Pointer Sisters, Saweetie, Tyga, Doja Cat, Blueface, and Kendrick Lamar.
California has several West Indian (Afro-Caribbean American) and African immigrants from countries such as Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa (including white South Africans), Tanzania, and Yemen across from the Horn of Africa. Immigrants from these countries have established communities in several cities in the state, such as Little Ethiopia in West Los Angeles. In addition to the Ethiopian community in Los Angeles, there is a significant Ethiopian population in Oakland/Berkeley. Nuer refugees from South Sudan have migrated to the Sacramento area. There are Cape Verdean communities in Solano County, the Santa Clara Valley, and the San Diego area. As of 2019, there are 13,061 Jamaicans in the state.
18 th Century -Slavery in California
People of African descent first appeared in California from Mexico due to the Spanish Conquest. Spanish soldiers, priests, and settlers brought black slaves and free blacks into the state in the 18th-century. The settlers and escort soldiers who founded the towns of San José de Guadalupe (San Jose), Yerba Buena (San Francisco), Monterey, San Diego, and La Reina de Los Ángeles (Los Angeles) were primarily mestizo and of mixed Negro and Native American ancestry from the province of Sonora y Sinaloa in Mexico. There were also many mulattoes (part black, part Spanish) in Alta California.
19th Century - Resilience & Leadership
Influential people of African ancestry were among the earliest California settlers and landowners. Pío Pico was a Californio politician, ranchero, and entrepreneur of mixed race with African ancestry, he had served as the last governor of Alta California under Mexican rule (from 1845 until 1846). Juana Briones de Miranda was a Californio businesswoman of mixed race with African ancestry, she is considered the "Founding Mother of San Francisco", as an early settler of Yerba Buena (now San Francisco). William Leidesdorff was black and multi-racial, he was one another founder of San Francisco.
After the discovery of gold in California on January 24, 1848, African Americans in search of wealth, and freedom arrived in the state during the California Gold Rush seeking their own gold discoveries. Additionally, white Southerners brought black slaves into the California mines starting in 1849, and were primarily migrating from Texas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Arkansas. The Sweet Vengeance Mine was a gold mine in Browns Valley, discovered by African American miners during the Gold Rush. Moses Rodgers was considered one of the best miners in the state.
It is important to note here that when California became a state, it was a free, non-slavery state, by the Compromise of 1850.
Some of the oldest African American churches in California are the Saint Andrews African Methodist Episcopal Church of Sacramento (founded in 1850, formerly known as Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church), the Third Baptist Church in San Francisco (founded in 1852), Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Bethel AME Church) in San Francisco (founded in 1852), African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AME Zion Church) in San Francisco (founded in 1852), and the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles (founded in 1872). In the 1870s, Rev. Peter William Cassey helped form two new Black Episcopalian churches in San Francisco; "Christ's Mission Church" (or Christ Mission Church), and he worked closely with the congregation from what later became St. Cyprian’s Church, however neither group had a building at that time.
Many of the earliest African Americans in the state held the California State Convention of Colored Citizens, a series of colored convention events active from 1855 to 1902. At the conventions they had elected delegates from the various counties and would discuss topics like slavery, public education, and voting rights.
Archy Lee had been formerly enslaved African-American and he was part of a series of notable 19th-century court cases that helped defined civil rights in the state by 1858. Edward Duplex was the first Black mayor in California, elected to office in Wheatland in 1888.
The first census recorded of African Americans in California appeared in 1850 with 962 people, and in 1860 with 4,086 people. Then, in 1910 the number rose to 22,000.
Case Study - Biddy Mason (c. 1818-1891)
Biddy Mason stands as a remarkable figure in California's history. Born into slavery in Georgia, she arrived in Los Angeles in the 1850s after a forced journey across the country with her enslaver Robert Smith. Despite facing the ongoing legal ambiguity of slavery in California, Mason successfully challenged Smith's claim of ownership in court, securing her freedom in a landmark 1856 case.
This legal victory not only secured her own liberty but also established a precedent for other enslaved people in California. Mason leveraged her newfound freedom to become a successful businesswoman, acquiring significant property holdings in what is now downtown Los Angeles. Her entrepreneurial spirit and financial acumen allowed her to transition from a life of forced labor to one of economic independence. In fact, at that time, Mason was one of the richest women in Los Angeles.
However, Mason's legacy extends far beyond personal achievement. Recognizing the importance of community and faith, she co-founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME) in 1872, the oldest Black church in Los Angeles. This institution served not only as a spiritual center but also as a social hub for the burgeoning Black community, fostering a sense of belonging and support.
Beyond her own congregation, Mason became renowned for her philanthropy. She actively supported those in need, providing food, shelter, and financial assistance to the less fortunate. Her generosity earned her the affectionate title of "Aunt Biddy" within the Los Angeles community.
20 th Century - The Second Great Migration
In the 1920s, San Francisco's Terrific Street was an entertainment district that was home to numerous black and tan clubs. These clubs were interracial and often highlighted African American culture.
African Americans migrated to California in large numbers during the Second Great Migration, which took place between 1940 and 1970. Many of these migrants were seeking to escape Jim Crow laws in the South, while others were drawn to California's job opportunities in the defense industry and shipyards.
By the end of World War II, the African American population in California had grown significantly. In 1910, there were only 21,645 African Americans living in the state, but by 1970, that number had increased to over 1.4 million.
In the late 1940s and early 1960s, a new style of jazz called West Coast jazz emerged in California. This genre was largely developed by African American musicians, and it helped to put the state on the map as a center for jazz. Some of the most important figures in West Coast jazz include John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Etta James.
In 1991, Rodney King, an African American, was beaten by three Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers during his arrest. The beating was caught on videotape, and it sparked outrage across the country. The acquittal of the officers led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which were some of the most destructive in U.S. history.
The African American experience in California has been a complex one, as is has been both a haven and a source of discrimination for African Americans. However, the state has also been home to some of the most important figures in African American history and culture.
21 st Century - The New Migration
In the 2010s, California was a net loser of black migration for the first time in three decades. Most exiting California blacks are returning to Texas and the Atlanta metropolitan area. In 2018, there were Black neighborhoods and cities with Black populations surpassing 15% in Southern California like in Compton, South Los Angeles, and Inglewood, and in Northern California like Stockton, Oakland, and Vallejo. Oakland has been noted for being a center of Northern California's black population, with it being at least 25% black as of 2020. Many African Americans who settled in California, likewise in Oakland, worked on the railroad in Oakland and East Bay areas in the early-to-mid 1900s.
The Black Lives Matter movement has rippled through California, leaving its mark on social, educational, and political spheres. One significant impact is the renaming of streets, schools, and landmarks that previously honored slaveholders or figures associated with racism. This symbolic act aims to create a more inclusive public landscape that reflects the state's diverse history.
The movement has also spurred a shift in education, with a growing emphasis on incorporating Black history and culture into school curriculums and public institutions. This fosters a deeper understanding of the African American experience and its contributions to California's social fabric.
Beyond education, Black Lives Matter has significantly raised awareness of racial injustice, police brutality, and systemic racism faced by Black communities. This heightened awareness is a crucial step towards addressing these critical issues. The movement's influence extends to policy changes, potentially leading to reforms in areas like law enforcement practices and criminal justice.