These maps were created for planning of public infra-structure in particular streets, roadways and interstates as well as public health facilities such as water and sewer systems in order to comply with environmental directives issued by federal agencies under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).
The particular focus of the maps is Black populations in Lafayette, Louisiana; however, maps are also provided for the US (Lower 48 states), State of Louisiana, Parish of Lafayette, City of Lafayette, and its urban core).
The number of blacks are measured in two ways:
-1- Percentage being the number of Blacks to the total population within a geographic unit. These maps are indicated by the letter A after its map number.
-2- Population density being the number of Blacks per acre within a geographic unit. These maps are indicated by the letter B and C after its map number.
There are total of five maps as numbered with its associated scales:
-1- National Map (1″ = 100 Miles)
-2- Louisiana State Map (1″ = 10 Miles)
-3- Lafayette Parish Map (1″ = 1 Mile)
-4- City of Lafayette Map (1″ =0.24 Miles)
-5- Urban Core of the City of Lafayette Map. (1″ = 0.14 Miles)
The eleven maps illustrate spatial variation. Black populations in the United States are found most frequently in the southern states, where slavery was practiced in the 19th Century. The state of Louisiana is one of those states; but within those states there is a great deal of variation in the number of Blacks within parishes (that is to say counties) as well as various levels of census geography (blocks, block groups, and tracts).
The national map shows the aggregation of Black population at the country/parish level, showing that Louisiana State and Lafayette Parish are within the Black population belt stretching from Texas to Virginia as shown in the color blue.
The Louisiana State map shows parishes and then census tracts within those parishes. The northern part of Lafayette Parish has the largest concentration of Black population. Note that the population of Blacks in the state are concentrated along navigable streams, where plantation complexes were generally located. These rivers in the 19th Century provided transportation of sugar, cotton, and tobacco to markets as far distant as Europe and Asia.
However if we do not measure Black population by percentage of the total population, but we measure the Black population by density, that is Blacks per acre, then we get an entirely different geographic distribution as shown in the Louisiana State population density map. Here, we see that Black populations are no longer rural but now in the 21st Century are almost entirely concentrated in the blue areas within the metropolitan cities. These cities are Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Lafayette Parish census tracts are shown at a much larger scale in the Lafayette Parish tract map. Here we see that the concentration of Black populations are in the northern part of the parish. The urbanized area is shown by a series of black dots across the areas where the US Census Bureau measures increased population density and roadways.
The City of Lafayette maps shows these census tracts split into smaller census blocks, the smallest level of census geography. Within the city, there are areas in the rural and urban areas without any population shown in dark green. The tan and grey areas indicate fewer and no black populations. The areas shown in blue indicate the highest concentration of Black populations.
The southern segmentation of the Blacks within the city is formed by the former Southern Pacific Railroad, which was built during the late 19th Century after the Civil War. A large railroad repair center with a round house was located in Lafayette, providing employment to persons, regardless of color. This major railroad connects New Orleans westward to Los Angles, California.
The norther segmentation of the Blacks within the city is formed by Interstate 10, which parallels the former Southern Pacific Railroads for much of is course westward to Los Angles.
The urban core of the City of Lafayette shows the oldest portion of the city with bluer areas having more Black population. The numbers in red show the actual count of Black population in each census blocks. Some blocks have only a few persons, but are shown in the same color being dark blue because the density per acre and its size are different.
=Map 01-A= United States – Lower 48 | Percentage – Black Population
2000 Census Parishes/Counties and Major Cities
Scale: 1:6,336,000 — 1″ = 100 Miles — 1″ = 528,000
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=Map 01-B= United States – Lower 48 | Density per Acre – Black Population
2000 Census Parishes/Counties and Major Cities
Scale: 1:6,336,000 — 1″ = 100 Miles — 1″ = 528,000
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=Map 02-A= Louisiana State and its Parishes | Percentage – Black Population
2010 Census Tracts & 2000 Cities Greater than 10,000
Geographic Name Information System (GNIS) Post Offices
Scale: 1″ = 633,600 — 1″ = 10.0 Miles — 1″ = 52,800 Feet
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=Map 02-B= Louisiana State and its Parishes | Density per Acre – Black Population
2010 Census Tracts & 2000 Cities Greater than 10,000
Geographic Name Information System (GNIS) Post Offices
Scale: 1″ = 633,600 — 1″ = 10.0 Miles — 1″ = 52,800 Feet
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=Map 03-A= Parish of Lafayette, Louisiana | Percentage – Black Population
2010 Census Blacks
Geographic Name Information System (GNIS) Post Offices
Scale: 1:63,360 — 1″ = 1.0 Miles — 1″ = 5,280 Feet
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=Map 03-B= Parish of Lafayette, Louisiana | Density per Acre – Black Population
2010 Census Blocks & Urbnanized Area
Geographic Name Information System (GNIS) Post Offices
Scale: 1:63,360 — 1″ = 1.0 Miles — 1″ = 5,280 Feet
Download
=Map 03-C= Parish of Lafayette, Louisiana | Density per Acre – Black Population
2010 Census Tracts & Urbnanized Area
Geographic Name Information System (GNIS) Post Offices
Scale: 1:63,360 — 1″ = 1.0 Miles — 1″ = 5,280 Feet
Download
=Map 04-A= City of Lafayette, Louisiana | Percentage – Black Population
2010 Census Blocks
Geographic Name Information System (GNIS) Post Offices
Scale: 1:15,000 — 1″ = .24 Miles — 1″ = 1,250 Feet
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=Map 04-B= City of Lafayette, Louisiana | Density per Acre – Black Population
2010 Census Blocks
Geographic Name Information System (GNIS) Post Offices
Scale: 1:15,000 — 1″ = .24 Miles — 1″ = 1,250 Feet
Download
=Map 05-A= Urban Core – City of Lafayette | Percentage – Black Population
2010 Census Blocks
Geographic Name Information System (GNIS) Post Offices
Scale 1:9,000 — 1″ = .14 Miles — 1″ = 750 Feet
Download
=Map 06-B= Urban Core – City of Lafayette | Density per Acre – Black Population
2010 Census Blocks
Geographic Name Information System (GNIS) Post Offices
Scale 1:9,000 — 1″ = .14 Miles — 1″ = 750 Feet
Download