The 2010 U.S. Census recorded 424 black Americans with Raspberry as their last name. That represented 67% of the total of 636 entries.
This article tracks their numbers in the census since the Civil War. We also look at historic African American people named Raspberry.
We end with a review of early records of black military service in the United States.
After The Civil War
The 1870 census was the first survey after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1850 and 1860, only free African Americans were recorded in the census. The many enslaved were omitted.
From 1870 onwards, all black Americans were included.
44 people named Raspberry were recorded in the 1870 census as black and 3 as mixed.
There was a total of 116 people with the name.
Raspberry In The 1900 And 1940 Census
The mixed category was dropped from the census in 1900, so we just need to look at the black numbers this time.
The 1900 census recorded 83 people with the last name Raspberry as black within a total of 185 that year.
By the way, the mixed category returned in the 1910 and 1920 censuses. It was dropped again in 1930, but replaced with extra categories for colored and non-white in a way that seems confusing now.
This changed again in 1940 and we can simply focus on one black category.
The 1940 census recorded 232 people named Raspberry as black within a total of 473.
Historic Black Figures With The Raspberry Surname
Here are some notable African Americans in history with Raspberry as their last name.
William Raspberry
- Born: 1935
- From: Okalona, Mississippi
- Died: 2012
William Raspberry (1935-2012) attended Indiana Central College (now the University of Indianapolis) and earned his bachelor’s degree in history.
He started in journalism as a reporter at the Indianapolis Recorder before joining The Washington Post in 1962.
He became a full-time columnist for the Washington Post in 1966. He covered a wide range of topics, including civil rights, education, and politics.
His column was syndicated in more than 200 newspapers. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1994. This made him the first African American to receive the prestigious honor in that category.
In addition to his work as a journalist, Raspberry taught at Duke University. He also founded the BabySteps program, a nonprofit organization focused on improving educational outcomes for young children.
He was inducted into the Hall Of Fame of the National Association Of Black Journalists in 2006.
Here are just a few other notable black journalists in the Hall Of Fame:
Raspberry In Black Military Records
Military records are a rich resource of for family history research. Here are examples of the Raspberry surname from several different military services.
Buffalo Soldiers
Five regiments for black soldiers were formed during the Civil War. They were known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Their records are part of the national archive of military monthly returns. The information includes the year and place of birth, where they enlisted, their occupation, and their height.
The only entry for Raspberry was in January 1915. Preston C Raspberry was a Private in the Tenth Cavalry. He was stationed in January 1915 at .
If you are researching military ancestors, there is a free index of these records on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
You have to create an account on either website, but you do not need to pay for the Buffalo Soldiers archive.