In a Census map of Percent Black or African American in United States, most of the African American or Black population seems to live in the South. By the South, I mean the highest percentages (14.8%-85.7%) are evenly distributed in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. There are also high percentages in most parts of Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia, on the lower half of Arkansas, and in the eastern region of Texas.
These high percentages of Black or African American people in the South may be because of their ancestry. Many African Americans before the Civil War lived as slaves in the South. Sometime after the Civil War, when all African Americans were freed from slavery, most of them probably wanted to stay where they were. Racism was just as bad in the North, and it would only make sense to stay with all of your friends and family in the South. So, most Blacks or African Americans probably live in the South because they grew up there, and their parents grew up there, and so on.
It is important to know this fact mainly for medical reasons. It’s important to know because some ethnic groups are more prone to certain diseases. For example, Sickle Cell Anemia. Sickle Cell is a gene variant, which means it is hereditary. Many people in and around Africa have developed this trait because it provides a resistance to malaria. If your ancestors had the Sickle Cell trait, then you have a high chance of developing it, too. Also, African Americans tend to have a higher blood pressure, which can lead to a variety of health issues. If the United States Government knows that there is a higher percentage of Blacks or African Americans in these southern areas, they can provide the appropriate healthcare and medicine needed.
