On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law. This landmark law prohibits racial discrimination in public accommodations, publicly owned or operated facilities, employment and union membership, and voter registration. To mark the anniversary, the Census Bureau has culled statistics from its reports that depict the progress African-Americans have made since then. Because of the limited historical data for other racial and ethnic groups, the analysis is limited to African-Americans.20.7 million
The estimated black population in the United States in 1964. On July 1, 2003, blacks numbered an estimated 38.7 million.Income and Poverty
$18,859. Median family income of blacks in 1964 (in inflation-adjusted 2002 dollars). In 2002, the black median family income was $33,634$20,805 and $13,085
Median income of black men and black women who worked full time year-round in 1964 (in inflation-adjusted 2002 dollars). In 2002, the corresponding income levels were $31,966 and $27,703.41.8%
Poverty rate for blacks in 1966 — two years after passage of the Civil Rights Act. In 2002, the poverty rate for blacks was 23.9 percent.Elected Officials
1,469. Number of black elected officials in 1970, the first year this kind of information was collected. By 2001, the number had reached a high of 9,101.892
Number of black elected officials in Mississippi in 2001, which had a higher total than any other state. Two other states in the deep South, Alabama and Louisiana, were next, with 756 and 705 black elected officials, respectively.High School Graduates
26%. Percentage of blacks age 25 and over in 1964 who had at least a high school diploma. By 2003, this rate had risen to 80 percent2.4 million
Number of blacks 25 years old and over with at least a high school diploma in 1964. This number had risen to 16.4 million in 2003.College Students and Graduates
306,000. Number of black college students in 1964. By 2002, this number had risen to
2.3 million.365,000
Number of blacks who had at least a bachelor’s degree in 1964. In 2003, 10 times as many, 3.6 million, had achieved this level of education.June 30, 2004 (updated)