America's Black population has seen exponential growth and diversification, from the early arrivals during the era of the transatlantic slave trade to the increasing waves of immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean since the 1980s. Currently, the U.S Census estimates that the Black or African American population comprises roughly 14.6% of the national total. This translates to approximately 47.8 million people, with the Black-only population accounting for 13.4%.