U.S. Census Bureau Black History Month Feature for February 11

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily Black History Month feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11: FIRST CHILD BORN IN COLONIES

Profile America for the 11th day of Black History Month.  The name Virginia Dare, the first child born to English settlers in America in 1587, is well known.  The name William Tucker has much less recognition.  He was the first African-American child born in the American Colonies and was baptized on January 3, 1624, in Jamestown, Virginia.  Two hundred years later, the census had counted 1.8 million black residents in the U.S.  Today, that number is just over 42 million, 13.6 percent of the nation's residents.  By the year 2050, it is projected that the number of African-Americans will be 65.7 million, 15 percent of the total U.S. population.  This special edition of Profile America is a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau. 

Sources:  Historical Statistics of the United States:  Colonial Times to 1970, p. 17
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features, CB12-FF.01
The Black Population: 2010

Profile America Special Edition:  Black History Month  2012  is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov  (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau