Black" vs. "African American" - which term is more politically correct?

All blacks I have talked to prefer black. On a local radio show here in NC, the same consensus (almost unanimous) was obtained when this very same question was asked. If you say African-American, they will see you as an uptight, overly-PC, white boy.

If you say black and aren't scared to make any racial distinctions (most white people are afraid to state what race someone is), they will respect you more. Black is just as acceptable as white. Labeling them as simply Americans is useless because we're designating race here.It's something we feel uncomfortable doing but shouldn't.

Race is an important labeling factor for medical purposes and identification purposes. There was an airport worker who saw an Arab committing a crime, but he was scared to refer to him as an Arab. How stupid is that?

Black people are more comfortable talking about the less tangible racial differences than white people are. If you discuss it, or even make a light joke about it, most don't mind. Just don't ever make a judgment as to whether or not someone is superior just because of race.

That's where they would get upset. But, pointing out differences is okay. Just don't act uptight about it.

I was at a party and a lighter black woman and a darker black man had shoes on that were black/white mirrors of each other. I said " you have some yin/yang action going on there, she's (referring to the shoes) yang and you're yin." he laughed, and then he said, that's true for us too (referring to their contrasting skin color). And I said "well, you can joke about that because you're black, I can't, I'm white.

" and he laughed even harder. Summary Negro (didn't talk about this)-Never acceptable, as its a super old term, used in the racist days. Colored-not acceptable for same reason Negro's not.

African-American-acceptable but shows that you're timid in race matters Black-the best choice, and the one used most often on forms to designate race.

Me personally I don't like either option. If I must choose I would say black. I don't like African-American because I wasn't born in Africa then moved to America. I was born in America why can't I just be American?

I agree that the terms are not as accurate as they could be, and group a whole lot of people together. In America, people who are "black" could be descendants of freed slaves, or African immigrants. They could be from Latin America, and not African at all.

Other dark skinned-cultures are also grouped in with "black", including Australian aborigines, and even some south Asians. I guess the only accurate way to describe people is either light-skinned, or dark-skinned. I personally don't care what color someone's skin is, but there are still a lot of people in the world who do.My ancestors are also from several European countries, but I've never considered myself an Irish-American, or any other subset, I'm just American.

Yes, I have light skin, bordering on fluorescent here in the dead of winter. I don't consider myself "white", nor do I consider people with dark skin "black", both designations are too general.

I agree that "Black", is more appropriate. However, the people that I know prefer "Afican American". I can remember back in school I was in the restroom with two "African American" girls whom I thought we were all friends.

I am not sure how the conversation went, but I said "Black People". Shoot I thought I was not gonna leave the restroom in one piece. They both told me that they prefer the "Afrian American" term over just being called "Black".

So, now that I have learned a good lesson I always refer to them as "African Americans". flickr.com/photos/blackheritage/1273165193.

You make some very good points that I would tend to agree with. Why aren't they considered "Americans" just like everyone else? If their preference is not to go by Americans, I think both African American and Black are equally good.

I have heard African American more often than Black over the past few years. In the end, I think it is their choice as a whole, which way that they like to be referred. To me, they are just people, friends, family, etc...

African-American presents some difficulties, especially living in Canada. One could say African-Canadian, but many of the black people I've met are from Haiti or Jamaica, not Africa. I don't see the problem with the term "black", as it's the easiest, but I'm not black and have never been so I have no way of knowing what being called either feels like, good or bad. I'm white (more like "clear"), and the term white doesn't offend me.As mentioned above, we're all Americans (or Canadians in my case) but because I live in such a diverse melting pot of a community I find more people tend to prefer to identify as "Hatians" or "Jamaicans" rather than by the colour of their skin (although to complicate things my boyfriend and his family are "Jamaicans", but they're white).

Unless it's as simple as checking a box on a government form, the colour of your skin isn't an indication of anything but a visible descriptive term of what you look like.

I think it depends upon the audience or the indiviual you are addressing.

I don't mean that the topic of skin color should be off limits, not at all, but I do think that it is time we drop the artificial labels based on outward appearance.

. Contrary to common assumption -- the terms "Black" and "African-American" DO NOT MEAN THE SAME THING! ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` AAs & BAs: The KEY difference between these TWO (2) groups ... ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` The African-Americans (AAs) are an ETHNIC grouping of people that is comprised ONLY of: *** The 'Descendants-Of-The-Survivors' of the chattel-slavery system that took place on the 'continental' United States of America during the antebellum era of its history.

*** Most (+70%) -- although not all -- of the people who are born to two (2) AA parents are found to have an ancestral "racial" lineage that includes varying amounts of African (45-55%), Amerindian (+25%) and also European (+20-30%) bloodlines -- that were both admixed into and "continually remained" within the lineage of their families. (Meaning they are of the Mixed-Race category that is referred to as "Multi-Generational Multiracially-Mixed" or as 'MGM-Mixed' racially-admixed ancestral lineage) Thus, this incredibly unique ETHNIC group of people is actually not seen (by most scientists and geneticist) as being a 'Black' RACE group (or any sort of RACE group) at all --- but rather they are seen as actually being comprised of people that span across the following "racial" categories and groups ... **** Multiracial (about 70% of the AAs -- ex. Jayne Kennedy) **** Black (about 20% of the AAs -- ex.

Oprah Winfrey) **** Biracial (About 5% of the AAs -- ex. Jennifer Beals) **** Amerindian or White (About 5% of the AAs -- ex. Walter White) ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` The Black Americans (BAs) are a RACE grouping of people that consists ONLY of: ***The 'Volitional Immigrants' that are from nations that are found all over the world and who are both Fully of the Black Race group and who are also NOT the descendants-of-the-survivors of the chattel slavery system that was once found on the continental United States of America.*** As noted, the BAs are a RACE group and are seen as being of a fully-Black lineage.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` http://afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322672 http://afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322890 THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN (AA) ETHNIC GROUP http://afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322890 http://community.afropunk.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:334007 http://www.afropunk.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322225 http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Al5eeK2CFwcv4rD5U5qzvEfty6IX?qid=20070527201834AAIhzhM&show=7#profile-info-CiC2JY9Maa http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiebDu.tSshJzQ0wS5fMp7jty6IX?qid=20070623205206AANUzPN&show=7#profile-info-q1hdwifgaa http://afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322672 THE MIXED-RACE LINEAGE OF ‘MANY’OF THE PEOPLE OF THE AA ETHNIC GROUP http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1034 http://afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:3226720 http://afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:3226721 THE HISTORY OF THE VERY RACIST / PRO-EUGENICIST ‘ONE-DROP RULE’ http://boards.mulatto.org/post/show_single_post?pid=35284580&postcount=4 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1399 http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjwuxYj8agKY7yGgqaJ7i.Xty6IX?qid=20070704121228AA7ZMsA&show=7#profile-info-ezQwEaJLaa RELATED LINKS ON THE TOPICS NOTED ABOVE: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1400 http://www.mgmix.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=410:why-do-blacks-want-dominicans-and-puerto-ricans-to-be-black-&catid=66:commentary#comment-1282 http://www.ourfilmspace.com/forum/topics/2045657:Topic:42413?commentId=2045657:Comment:246405 http://diverseeducation.com/article/7469/1.php http://mgmix.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=561:why-do-biracials-and-blacks-look-similar-&catid=45:commentary-essays-articles-writings#comment-1479 .

In 2007, a Gallup poll was given to African Americans about this very topic, and the write-up of the results also included a summary of previous polls on the topic. In every case, the largest majority of respondents by far expressed no preference, but among those who DID express a preference, "African American" was clearly more popular. The 2007 figures went like this: Prefer African American: 24% Prefer Black: 13% Doesn't matter: 61% gallup.com/poll/28816/black-african-amer... Now the question I have to ask is this: If 61% of African Americans, when asked, tell you it doesn't matter, why do we have such a tendency to go on and on about it as if we don't believe them?

I believe them. I don't think we need to write long chapters in social science text books about the nuances of which term is more proper in certain situations, or the subtleties of who is using a term, who are they referring to and to whom are they speaking. I actually found one article concerned with "is it Black with a upper case "B", or black, with a lower case "b"," and how vitally important it is to get it just right.

I might be going way out on a limb, but I bet those same 61% that don't care which term is used, don't care much about Big "B" or little "b". http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=58&aid=51320 Perhaps I ought to take my own advice and end my answer, but like so many others, it seems I can't just shut up and go my way. The subject just seems to interest some folks.In any case, an interesting measuring stick is about to appear on the horizon in a very big way.

The 2010 Census allows individuals to self-designate their race, and will include separate categories for describing yourself as "Black, African American, or Negro. " I'll bet some of us will find it interesting to take a peek at the breakdown once the figures come in. Here is an interesting article about the census designation.

http://www.newpittsburghcourieronline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1357:african-american-or-black-the-debate-of-defining-ourselves-continues&catid=39:national&Itemid=2 As a white middle aged man who spent a good many years working a public service position in an African American community, I find myself comfortable with either. Every now and then (quite rarely), someone might make a comment about not being "black", just like I might make one about not being "white" (I'm sorta tan-ish), but it always seemed far more important that everyone was treated with dignity and respect, with helpful, courteous and prompt service.In fact many is the customer who I would never dream of refering to as anything but Yes Sir or Yes Ma'am.

Neither. My wife is a 'lady of color', she was born in the UK of Jamaican parents, her great grandparents were slaves in Jamaica. My wife holds a British passport and a US green card. She is neither African nor American.

If you dig into her DNA far enough you will find Chinese, White, Black and many other ethnic groupings. Yet to all around she is categorised as an 'African American', a phrase that she generally loathes. 'Black' is more acceptable, but it is a label and a grouping and tends to carry with it many other implied characteristics, Black Man Time (BMT) - notoriously tardy (she is more punctual than me) etc.So, when asked she pronounces herself English - which she is, people tend to be surprised and confused when they meet her, her accent and her skin color are seemingly incompatible with 'African American' yet most cannot get past that label.

Surely now, in this age, it is time to lose the distinction? 'American' if you hold the passport should cover the majority. I have a very good friend that proudly proclaims that he is Scotish/irish/Greek - American to all who will listen.

He has a Boston accent, as does his father. Go figure.

I think Black is more acceptable than African American. Not that I'm black myself or have close black friends, but I've used the term African American on acquaintances that have corrected me to tell me that 'Black' is more appropriate since not all black people are from america. To me then, it seems that if you know the person is from America, it's probably okay to use African American but generally, 'Black" is becoming more acceptable.

I generally would use what ever dark skinned, olive skinned..I may even say chocolate or mocha depending on shade... as if I'm saying black or African American I would be doing so for descriptive purposes.. just like blond haired or short.. to say black is rarely accurate as there are different shades and African American is also inaccurate as many of aren't from Africa and may not be American. It would be hard to be accurate as far as race unless I actually knew where they were from so I consider color shades to be more appropriate. A a side note though, I do find it interesting that there is so much controversy over what to call darker skinned folks.. but nobody seems to care that such a wide range of races are lumped into "white people".

I'd be interested to know if those that find "black people" offensive feel the same about white people.

I think that as young children we are taught African American, at least I was in school. I never thought about it that way, but you make great points. It is true that they are simply Americans, but truth be told even though we were born here, we are decendents from another culture, at least in most cases.It depends on what the individual wants to be called, but if white people are called white, then it should be fine to use the term black.

It's not degrading, I never get offended when I am called white, becuase I am! I think it's funny when someone says caucassian.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.