
The United States federal government, through the United States Census Bureau, has altered its definition of what defines one to be a Black American descended from slaves. From the time of when the first United States Census was collected into the present day, the Census Bureau has wrestled with what this definition ought to be. One can easily see this on a surface level by the frequent changing of the names of the population of Black Americans descended from slaves. For example, in the 1790s this demographic was placed into the category of being called a slave or a free person other than white. In the present, this demographic would fall under the "Black, African American, or Negro" checkbox. As a result, some controversy is aroused due to the abundance of the frequency of changing of these naming of this demographic and lumping of together of all people descended from ancestors of Sub-Saharan Africans. The controversy comes from not recognizing that other people recently immigrated from anywhere in the African diaspora or sub-Saharan Africa itself as having a different history, thus, some argue that there should be a breakdown of categories. How does the US federal government define through the census of what it means to be an African American citizen throughout the past and the now? Throughout this analysis, the census will be scrutinized in relation to the history of qualifications stated by the Census Bureau of what it named one descended from African slaves in the United States. In addition, the controversial topic of how the Census Bureau deals with defining this group would be analyzed as well. 

Before race in relation to the census is addressed, it is crucial to understand the history and the purpose of the census. The first mention of a census was originally hinted at in the Constitution of the United States Article 1, Section 2. Article 1, Section 2, Clause declares:

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. (US Const. article I, section III)

From that, one can see that main intention of the census is to have a population measurement every 10 years for purposes like taxation and allocate Representatives over the population for equal representation. Also, the quote implies that the census should be accurate and supported by federal law when the phrase, "actual Enumeration," was used. In other words, "actual Enumeration," meant that the census should be a complete, accurate as possible, count of the population. As one can see, the first purpose of the census was to act just as straightforward population count. But now, the census has morphed into a new creature. As described from an article from Julia.com, "all persons over eighteen years of age to answer an ever-lengthening list of inquiries concerning their personal and economic affairs." As time has passed, Congress has allowed the census jurisdiction to change to not just include a count of the population, but also to inquire personal and economic affairs. The change in time of the purpose of the census is important to realize. The shift to including race in the 1800's is a critical because it shows how the United States at that time was reevaluating racial qualifications. This can be applied to the census through the constant changing of what this demographic was named in this period after the Civil War that lasted into the 1900s. 

Ever since the first census in the 1790s, the census has been ever changing in how it names the people that descended from African slaves brought to the United States. Through the analysis of the headings of past census records, one can observe the specificity of race has increased. From the 1790 census to the 1840 census, this demographic was separated to form two categories: slaves and all other free persons other than white. From the 1850s to 1930s, the census went through multiple changes to describe this demographic. In the 1850s, color appeared on the census for the first time under the description box. The subcategories of color included black, mulatto, and white. This represented a change in the census because instead of grouping people descended from African slaves as free persons or slaves, they were described based on phenotype and genealogy. The change that occurred in the 1850s and lasted until the 1930 census is described by Jennifer L. Hochschild and Brenna M. Powell as, "a profound process of racial reorganization" (Hochschild, Powell). In that time interval, the idea of race was being examined especially since society was trying to concrete what defines one to be a part of any racial group. The 1890 census added two new classifications to this demographic that already consisted of black and mulatto: quadroon and octoroon. A quadroon is one that is has approximately a quarter African ancestry and an octoroon is one that has one-eighth ancestry. The 1900 census showed another shift in what the United States Federal Bureau called this demographic. Instead of all the having to list one as black, mulatto, quadroon, or octoroon, the census allowed only an abbreviation, B, which stood for black. The next census, in 1910 brought back the terms Mulatto and Black. The next shift that occurred is in the 1930s when the term Negro was first placed onto the census. Negro was used to describe anyone who had a noticeably had a drop of blood from Africa. There was not any change dealing with this demographic until the 1970 census. The option displayed "Negro or Black." The next census contain the option "Black or Negro." One can see that the term, Black, is what the United States Census Bureau started to prefer due to the switch on the form of the order of negro and black. The most current change to happen to the census dealing with the naming of this demographic is the addition of African American to the checkbox option in 2000. In the 2000 and 2010 censuses, the checkbox option appears, "Black, African Am., or Negro." This option causes some controversy. 

In the present, there is some controversy dealing with the checkbox option "Black, African Am., or Negro." One of the most easily to see problem of this check box is the including of the word Negro. Many people view that dated word as to having a negative, racist connotation especially in result of the 1960's Civil Rights Era. But others could justify its place on the census because some of the older age brackets out of that demographic identify with this word because it is what American society and themselves have described themselves in their youth prior to the 1970s. Another controversy that arises from this check box is that the identity of African Americans versus other blacks that have recently immigrated from other places in the Africa diaspora or Africa itself. Many African Americans feel that there should be a separate checkbox for them due to the different history and culture than that of other Blacks that have recently immigrated in the later end of the 20th century into the present. On the other hand, some feel like the check box does it purpose because it places an entire race into a category. Some people would argue against the previous statement and expressing that there is a lot of diversity from within this group. For those US citizens who feel uncomfortable and misrepresented by the checkbox, they propose an option the census is to remove the census question of race all together. Kennith Prewitt of USA Today said that the question should simply be, "What national origin, ethnicity, tribe, language group or ancestry do you consider yourself to be" (Prewitt). This question would displace the idea of racial differences that were put into place in the 1800s. Also, this will base the question on self-identity versus that a list of specific qualities that determine what race one should select on the census. A few opposing parties may argue that the "race" question should be allowed on the census to allow for a standard to group people in a race together for analytical purpose in relation to allocation of resources from the government and a tool to see some socioeconomic disparity between racial groups in the present day. Altogether, there is many different opposing controversies and viewpoints that stem from this check box and question.

Overall, one can see the many different name changes this demographic has been called since the censuses in the 1800s. This is a motif of how the United States has struggled to define this demographic. Even until today, there is some controversy over the clumping together of "Black, African American, or Negro" into one category. On a surface level, some see this as not representative that does not take into account the different backgrounds. In addition, others just question why does race still matter. Those people who second the latter suggest a solution that that one should take away the structured question of race and impose a question of self-identity instead. But, as in the past, this situation will still remain fluid due to the release of a new census with the chance on new racial guidelines every 10 years. 

