ABSTRACT
As of July 1, 2004, there were an estimated 39.2 million African American residents of the United States, including those of more than one race. They made up 13.4% of the total U.S. population. This figure represents an increase of half a million residents from one year earlier (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2004). Due to the long-standing prejudice and discrimination against African Americans throughout U.S. history, there are many descendents of African Americans who did not identify with or claim that part of their ethnic heritage. Those identifiable as African Americans are a relatively young ethnic group, with children and young people constituting close to half the population. The median age for these African
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Americans is 26.9 years, compared to 32.7 years for the median European American (United States Bureau of the Census, 2004). Homicide is the leading cause of death among African American men aged 15-24 (Freiberg, 1991a) and a young Black man is six times more likely to be killed than a young White man (Pania, 1992). Nearly one in four African American males aged 20-29 are in prison, on parole, or on probation, and they outnumber those in college (Pania, 1992). Only 11.5% of African Americans have completed four years of college compared to 22.2% of Caucasians. The high school graduation rate is 66.7% for African Americans and 79.9% for Caucasians (McDavis, Parker, & Parker, 1995).
