The Geography of Black America: The Growth of a Sub-Discipline

Abstract

Abstract Although blacks constitute the largest ethnic minority in the United States, historically they have either been largely omitted from geographic literature or else portrayed in less than a humanistic manner. However, beginning about 1965 a change took place in geography regarding its interest and treatment of black Americans. Within the last eight or nine years the geography of black America has blossomed into a full-fledged subfield of geography. In all, over 200 theses, dissertations and published works have been produced by geographers during this period. Moreover, a sharp shift in subject emphasis has occurred. Prior to 1965, what little geographic literature there was dealt mostly with rural or regional studies. Now the emphasis is, at long last, upon urban black American where over eighty percent of blacks reside.