20.11.02 Genetic Diversity within Today’s African American Population, by Howard Ray White, published in 2015

Genetic Diversity within Today’s African American Population,

by Howard Ray White, the Society of Independent Southern Historians

Today we Americans often think of our African American population as being a race of people.  But it takes little thought and observation to recognize that African Americans are not a pure race descended from African people, but a mixed race descended from diverse mixtures of ancestry from three major races: African, European and Native American.  Recent analysis of genetic data of customers of 23andMe, a popular genetic testing service, paints a picture of the diversity of the racial ancestors of people who self-identify themselves as African American.  The genetic data of 5,269 self-described African Americans, after sophisticated computer analysis, presents the following racial make-up of that population.

• Testing revealed individuals were 15/16ths to pure Black                           3.2% of those tested
• Testing revealed individuals were 7/8ths to 15/16ths Black                        18.1% of those tested
• Testing revealed individuals were 3/4drs to 7/8ths Black                            33.4% of those tested
• Testing revealed individuals were 5/8ths to 3/4drs Black                            26.9% of those tested
• Testing revealed individuals were 1/2 to 5/8ths Black                                   9.4% of those tested
• Testing revealed individuals were 3/8ths to 1/2 Black                                   4.2% of those tested
• Testing revealed individuals were 1/4 to 3/8ths Black                                   2.0% of those tested
• Testing revealed individuals were 1/48ths to 1/4 Black                                0.8% of those tested
• Testing revealed individuals were zero to 1/48ths Black                              2.0% of those tested

Total                                                                                                                                100.0%

Recasting a summation:

• Testing revealed individuals were one-half to pure Black                           91.0% of those tested
• Testing revealed individuals were more White than Black                          7.0% of those tested
• Testing revealed individuals had insignificant Black ancestry                     2.0% of those tested

Total                                                                                                                                100.0%

These data of genetic inheritance among African Americans is in general agreement with other studies I have seen. 

The difficulty in thinking of African Americans as a uniform race impacts public policy concerning that portion of our population.  When 2 percent of people self-identified as African Americas show no significant genetic evidence (1/48 to zero black) of being descended from that race; when 7 percent of people self-identified as African Americans are genetically less than half of that race, we appear to be giving advantages in college opportunities to the most capable 7 percent without adequate consideration of the needs in preparing the majority 91 percent for successful adult careers.  Not everybody needs to go to college, and a degree is not an easy ticket to a good job.  That reality is important to all Americans, not just a certain part of our population.  But it is particularly important in seeking good outcomes among African Americans in today’s society.  The focus on college preparation in American schools does a disservice to the African American students who constitute the genetic-majority-African 91 percent.

Howard Ray White, for the Society of Independent Southern Historians