Changing Demographics
from presentation by Dr. Anne Phillips
Demographic changes in the U.S.:
During the 1950s, 1.5 million African American migrated from rural areas to urban areas
During the 1960s, 1.4 million African American migrated from rural areas to urban areas
Demographic changes in Philadelphia:
Philadelphia's population in 1950 was over 2 million. Over 70% of the population was European American or white. By 2000, Philadelphia had less than 1.5 million people and the European and African American population were almost identical.
Between 1940 and 1950, 90,635 African Americans migrated to Philadelphia
Between 1950 and 1960, 64,974 African American migrated to Philadelphia
In the decade 1950 - 1960, Philadelphia's African American, Latino/a, and Asian
American population increased 41.2%; the European American population declined
13.3%
African American demographic isolation:
North and West Philadelphia became "virtually" African American
Racial change occurred quickly in Strawberry Mansion, Tioga and Southwest Philadelphia
Between 1930 - 1970, the index of African American isolation in Philadelphia rose from
27.3% - 75.6%
In the 1950s, Philadelphia's Puerto Rican community began to increase.
Demographics in Philadelphia schools:
The rapid transformation of the racial makeup of neighborhoods was matched in the
schools. African American students enrollment went from 20.4% in 1940 to 47% in 1960
African Americans were the majority of students, 51%, in 1960 in elementary schools
Less than half of the European Americans students, 48%, were enrolled in public schools while 92% of African American students were enrolled in public schools. By 2001,
65.3% of the student body was African American, 4.9% Asian American, 13.1% Latino/a
and 16.4% European American.