Analysis of the population of the United States reveals dramatically shifting demographics in the twenty-first century. The United States Census population estimates indicates that the population of non-Hispanic Whites will drop from 75.6% of the population in 1990 to 50% in 2050 with a rise in the Hispanic population form 9% to 22%, African American from 11.8% to 16% and Asian from 2.8% to 10%. These shifts highlight the importance of more thoroughly understanding pigmented skin on a cellular and biologic level, the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases affecting skin of color and genetic and hereditary factors affecting skin of color. The objective of this conference is to unite the physical anthropologists, geneticists, cutaneous basic science researchers, clinical dermatologists, and industry scientists in an attempt to further the understanding of pigmented skin diseases in darker skinned individuals.
