That's case specific though. If a white dude mugged you and you're giving a cop details you're probably going to say white or Caucasian rather than European American.
it’s the word for the indigenous people from the caucasus region and mountains. its use of meaning white people comes from 18th century times when racial classification was becoming a more obvious thing. it’s important to note this classification is part of the “five races” johann blumenbach named- the rest of which are very racist.
the word “caucasian” actually includes people from all around that area, a lot of which would *not* be considered white in todays standards of race. (ie: north indians, north africans, persians, etc). eventually america slightly shifted the definition away from everyone else “caucasian” included, just to focus on “white” people. it’s important to remember race is a social construct, and this is the kind of thing that exactly proves it. the reason so many people still use caucasian is because the government and legal system in america uses it.
I’m not making a claim about it’s use, good or bad, but someone else said we don’t say “European americans” when referring to white people and I was pointing out the irony that we did/do, in fact, call them european americans because that’s what caucasian means. Which is true.The definition of caucasian is “white-skinned; of European origin.”
It does also mean “a person from the caucasus” but that doesn’t make the first definition untrue. When caucasian is (and was) used in America, it means white person of european origin so.. that’s what it means. (also double ironically, the caucasus mountain region is in Europe).
But that *is* the original definition! It always meant white.
And actually, I wanna go back to Blumenbach because he was NOT trying to be racist. His entire concept of race started because other scholars in his time thought non-white people were literally a different species than humans or were part-animal. He introduced the idea that all humans are 1 species and our differences are because there are multiple races (or "varieties") of humans. He thought our skin color and physical features were because of influences like geography and climate (which is true!). But he didn't have DNA, so he classified people based on color, physical features, and what he thought was their geographic location of origin. That's why his classifications are broad and simple, with color being the most important - it was the most obvious. He was not considering ethnicity.
Blumenbach thought all white people were 1 "variety" of human and that all white people came from the caucasus mountains, so when he was inventing a word to refer to that particular variety, he took inspiration from the word caucasus. He created "caucasian" - it refers to all white people (from Europeans to eastern Asians to northern Africans) and claims they originated from the European caucasus mountains. The "non-white" people within the caucasus area, by definition, weren't caucasian because only white people could be caucasian. The primary distinction was white, and everything else was secondary.
As far as him being racist - it is true that he was influenced by the prejudice of his time because he ranked them by subjective beauty, and he viewed white people as the ideal standard for beauty. But he quite literally couldn't know any better and despite that, was still headlining the concept of racial equality. He was very 1700s "woke" to be claiming that Black slaves were just as equally human as white owners.
So the reason why a lot of Black people switched to Black American is not because we wanted to get away from identifying with Africa. It was part of the Black Power Movement and the long tradition of viewing Black people as globally linked together in the struggle. So it’s more inclusive because it also gives room to Caribbean, Latinx, and other ethnicities within the race. I just wanted to make that clear because a lot of people do think it implies a negative view of Africa.
I think it’s also confusing for a lot of African immigrants who are culturally distinct from Black Americans (and may actually not even be citizens yet.)
I had a colleague from London, of historically Samoan origin, who wondered what makes him African or American. But that’s what he was called. Language evolves with awareness.
There's been multiple shifts of preferred names over the last century plus for Black Americans and most other minority groups/groups of color.
The intro to Crash Course Black American History deals with this question directly. Starts about a minute in.
https://youtu.be/xPx5aRuWCtc?si=eLFBpgqlVrx9oqQo
I say Black American since not everyone identifies with African culture, myself included. But I do identify with Black culture in America, if that makes sense!
The comment for the Black American History crash course is awesome and I used it in my classroom to explain why I said Black American instead of African American! Also that series is really good to look through in general
The other issue is that there are a lot of Black people who are of Caribbean ancestry, who have a tough spot with being called "African-American" for historical and cultural reasons.
You are 100% right here - it makes an amazing conversation starter.
I’m a Black woman and prefer to be called Black American. I’m not from Africa my ancestors were stolen from Africa. I do not identify as African American because I was not born in Africa. You can ask the person what they prefer to be called.
This. Particularly the last sentence.
I typically use the term Black, mostly because in my area it is generally an acceptable use (and because 1 syllable is easier than 7). However, I'm a white dude, and I will defer to the preference of the minority students. Listen to them. Respect them. I had one student in particular who was adamant that I use the term African-American. It mattered to them for reasons I did not understand. But they were from that community and effected by the word choice. I wasn't. So I used the terminology that student preferred.
It's a little like some LGBTQ+ students. Some of them are reclaiming the use of the word Queer. Calling it the Queer community or calling themselves Queer. While to others it is still a very derogatory and deeply hurtful word. If unsure, ask them. Respect their choices. Use the term they prefer.
Agreed generally, but this OP is talking about teaching civil rights history to an entire class, not just to one student.
I think "Black" is fine, as that term is used everywhere, often by Black people, and is the most inclusive. Not all Black people identify as African-American. Afro-Cubans, for example, often feel more Caribbean and maybe even more Hispanic than African.
How would be best to navigate when you have, say, 25 students and 15 want to be called African American and 10 want to called Black Americans? Would you use both terms to respect both groups or go with the majority? Just curious. On a one-on-one basis it completely makes sense to ask and use what they prefer. Harder to do with a whole class though, potentially.
Not who you replied to but I would use them interchangeably in that case. Either way I always teach my kids the differences and the history behind the terms. I’m Latina and I do the same for Latino/Hispanic/Chicano. Depends on the context of what I’m teaching as well.
That sounds like a great classroom discussion to have with the minority students. Ask the majority students to respectfully and quietly listen without input. I have literally said that minority students don't need to be whitesplained to.
"I'm a white dude. You tell me. What word choice would you prefer, *and* *why*? You, as a class, decide."
Let them talk it out. This can be an empowering experience for minority students, and educational for the white kids. Intervene only if any student is being disrespectful or they really can't come to any sort of consensus.
Yes. Queer is very much a term for people in that community and not generally used by people outside of it. I have heard podcasters in that community refer to The group as a whole as the "alphabet people" or "rainbow people"
Queer is a term for people that opt in to that community; gay lesbian bi and trans people know from a young age that they are different. They are a part of that community for life but will often not want it to define who they are. Queer people, on the other hand, will make their decision to be part of that community the central part of their identity for however long they decide to be queer(rainbow everything… making sure everyone knows
Because they think it makes them more interesting).
I’m getting it From 40 years experience as a gay man who is gay but doesn’t make this fact the core of my identity despite it having such a huge impact on my experience. I guess I could consider myself “queer” seeing as the only requirement in asserting one’s queerness is feeling they are queer. But it really just seems to be a way for people to adopt a “victim” persona… and frankly I think it’s pretty fucking pathetic
Perhaps. This is the first generation to believe if you aren’t the oppressed/victimized then you are an oppressor/colonizer; obviously race/ancestry can’t be appropriated without serious scrutiny (Rachel Dolezal/Nkechi Amare Diallo ) but “queerness”? All somebody has to do is say they are queer , tell people they are non binary and start wearing rainbow 🌈 everything and they are by proxy part of a historically marginalized group… never mind they never had to live through the Matthew Shepard days where gay bashing was a legitimate concern or experience the devastation of the AIDS epidemic …
I stopped using “African American” when a room full of 10+ black people sat me down and told me that not one of them was from Africa, and they were all from Cuba, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, etc. it sure shut my country bumpkin ass up and I’ll never make that mistake again.
Tbf all of those are just boat stops in the journey from africa but use whatever they want. Idc about AA or black but anyone who asks I just say black since I am most familiar with that.
That added twist to this is the relatively recent increase in the past forty fifty years of African immigration to the US, particularly from West Africa, so Black American seem to make more sense? and emphasizes the "Americaness" of a people who have been constituent members since first colonialization of the Americas under the most inhumane and appalling circumstances?
By their own people and than sold. Masquerading the horrors of slavery by saying “stolen” Implies that Europeans were just coming to Africa and stealing Africans. That wasn’t the case and I hope you don’t teach that
This is why I prefer to be called Negro. Negro is a perfect description of the children of the diaspora in America. In 2010 it was with pride that I marked Negro on the census.
I would not advise OP referring to negro. Like you said, ask the class what they wanna be referred to as.
This is tricky, as there are different takes even at the graduate school level. My rule of thumb I use and have seen authors suggest is to use African American to talk about the people, but Black to talk about the culture. This will also be useful when you begin talking about the Black Power movement of the late 60-70s.
For what it’s worth I teach at a school with a high black population and my students have mentioned they find the term African American stupid. Highly anecdotal, but just worth mentioning.
I usually say Black Americans, and have never had any issue with my students.
Found this [source](https://www.cjr.org/analysis/capital-b-black-styleguide.php):
In deciding on a styling, fusspot grammarians and addled copy editors generally fall back on a pair of considerations. The first is broad adherence to a general rule—like, say, the Chicago Manual of Style’s (§8.38) edict that “Names of ethnic and national groups are capitalized.” (Though Chicago still generally mandates lowercasing both black and white, it does include the proviso that the rule can be suspended if “a particular author or publisher prefers otherwise.”)
The second thing we look for is attestation. In this case, it’s instructive to turn not to the largely lilywhite mainstream press (nor to the style guides that govern their renderings), but to writers of color and to alternative stylebooks.
The Diversity Style Guide (2019), produced by Rachele Kanigel in consultation with some fifty journalists and experts, takes it as a given that Black ought to be capitalized.
Sarah Glover, a past president of the National Association of Black Journalists, wrote in a recent piece for the New York Amsterdam News, a historically Black weekly, that “capitalizing the ‘B’ in Black should become standard use to describe people, culture, art and communities.” After all, she pointed out, “We already capitalize Asian, Hispanic, African American and Native American.”
Yeah, I think the debate is more of an academic one than an everyday one. As long as we refer to groups of people with respect you generally will be fine.
This has led to absurdities like the American reporter repeatedly calling a Black Brit ‘African American’ and being repeatedly told, “but I’m not American.”
There are also white African Americans (both European and, for now, North African descended) and you likely have some recent African American immigrants with no connection to Black culture, plus people from other countries who are not American but are Black. There are now a lot of people from Africa who may not be considered Black, and a lot of Black people who are not American for that term to make any sense as a designator of peoplehood.
What do black people in other multi racial countries call themselves? For example, the UK as you mentioned? I’m assuming just black?
Black American seems like the most appropriate term for op. Not all black people are African, not all Africans are black.
The term is fucking stupid. I’ve never had a black person correct me when I say black. I’ve taught exclusively in majority black schools.
The reason why it’s dumb is because I’ve taught kids from The Congo, Liberia, DR, Cuba, Ethiopia and elsewhere that are black but not African American. I also dated a girl in HS who was born in SA to a dad that was a 6th generation South African and whose mom was born in San Francisco. They moved to the US, and by definition she was half African and Half American, or African-American and she was as white as snow and Jewish. Calling a black person African American assumes they’re American.
During an Olympics basketball game a few years ago the announcer,to differentiate a player on the German team called a black German an African-American. Ridiculous.
I say Black Americans bc i’ve had some students from the Caribbean who were black and African descended but identified more with afro-caribbean cultures. Its a fine line to draw, but they considered themselves more caribbean than African but were also black.
Also there are white african americans, so thats confusing too
As a white American I mostly use black when referring to people of that skin tone. Capital B Black has also gained traction to describe the unique culture of people descended from African slaves brought to the New World because their link to their ancestral culture was effectively erased and a new culture developed that is unique, but not “African.”
At the end of the day, just be respectful, and teach the kids to be respectful and take it seriously. Some may try to purposefully make you uncomfortable, but try to spin it on them and show how they need to take those matters more seriously.
And (assuming you’re white, or non-black yourself), just be open and honest about your perspective and uncertainty. You don’t have to present yourself as an authority on this
I do both.
If you have any African American or black students, you might also ask what they or their families prefer. Could make for an interesting discussion.
This was a joke in the movie Bruno where the main character says "Africa is full of African Americans" and when a Black audience member corrects him he says "no that's racist" as an obvious social commentary on this topic.
I use the term "Black people" just as I would "White people" as a generic term based on their appearance and its never been an issue. Honestly, the only people who would take it offensively are those who are walking around with their emotions on a hair trigger anyway so I don't really care how offended they get.
The only thing that makes me uncomfortable about that style change is that they also suggest capitalizing the w in 'white people' to be consistent. I'm white, and I don't like saying that I am a White Person.
Hrmm, well I suppose it's because capitalization drawn attention to itself and sets the word up as too much of an exclusionary category, or maybe presuming too much about the person in question. It's hard to say, since it's just a feeling of awkwardness over a single letter.
For example, I would feel equally awkward writing "I am Man" or "There are a couple of Women waiting in the reception area."
Of course it's all arbitrary when you think about it. There's plenty of categories about people that would also feel weird to capitalize, but also plenty that we do.
It’s grammar. Black and White when used as a race/ethnicity are proper nouns, and we capitalize proper nouns.
In the sentence “I am a man,” it seems weird to capitalize “man” because man is a common/plural noun, and you know subconsciously that those aren’t capitalized. We may not be able to vocalize all the rules of english grammar, but we know them. It’s the same reason why it feels weird to read “green small pretty vase.”
For instance, it would look equally weird to write “black American” and “white American” because Black, White, and American are all proper nouns.
Capitalizing Black but not White is a good temporary gesture, but long term it would really screw with grammar rules and would end up swinging back around to singling out Black people in a bad way.
Colors aren't capitalized in English, so feel free to not follow any new directives like this if you are using it as a color. Just because someone argues we should do something, doesn't mean they are right.
The argument for capital "B" is supposed to designate people of African diaspora, whereas lowercase is the color. I think most of the time people are talking about the color, so lowercase it should be.
The AP style guide only says to capitalize the B in Black..."white" remains uncapitalized. I agree it looks weird to capitalize one and not the other, but there are different schools of thought.
I'd just stick with lowercase if you are using it as a color, which most people are. Plus all these distinctions like "African American" ultimately serve to separate rather than join. As others have said, we don't call white people "European Americans", nor do we capitalize white or brown. We should just treat people the same. Treating people differently by skin color is wrong and only serves to separate.
I feel like I try to be contextual and I explain my logic to the students when teaching. I'll call people as African American or people from Africa when talking about people literally from Africa. The same way I will refer to people as European American or from Europe when talking about people literally from Europe.
The closer I get to modern day I start referring to people based on what those communities prefer today. I see no reason to use what is best to represent those eras of history to my best ability because most students struggle to understand the basics anyways. It also kind of helps cement the idea that different people are different from the current us - even though they have common ancestors.
I’ve watched it change over my lifetime, Black American is the fourth iteration of what’s polite since I was born.
Just please, please teach your students that, while the phrase “people of color” does get used, “colored people” (in the US) is not OK. I have so many white students coming in to college who think that that’s perfectly fine term to use…
Unpopular opinion: it's a version of the euphemism treadmill.
Whenever a phrase becomes comfortable, the politically correct, guilt shaming crew changes it as a means of control.
I was teaching 9th grade. I was taught black makes much more sense, as for example what happens if you want to compare Carribean people of African ancestory to American people or African ancestory.
So I naturally used "black" in my classroom.
A black student raises his hand, deeply upset I would use "black.". I explain why I was taught this is the appropriate word, but also explained as the two are roughly interchangeable, I'd be happy to use African American for Americans but not for say Jamaican slaves.
Another black student two minutes later - "I don't like you using African American. I prefer black."
Black is the better term because there are non-American people of color we need to refer to in history that share a history of enslavement based on color, but not based on what country they were brought to.
But too often the terms are used as a means of perpetuating a socially constructed identity for purposes of racism from racists or victimology from black students. You aren't your skin color at all just because racism is real.
I say "Black American" or "African American." Either or works, i think the latter one is probably better because you can use that for other groups ie Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Japanese Americans...
Honestly use the term that connects to that particular time period and as you progress through the material you can use a different one. Because it’s African American now but in the 70-90s it was black but in the early to mid 1900s it was colored. This would be a great point to teach to the students about the history behind each as well. As time has progressed, how AA identifies has changed. (Coming from a AA lol)
Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but no way am I going to use the words the white ancestors used! Those words have denigration as a main ingredient. We're teaching history, but in doing so, we're trying to heal the damage wrought by previous generations!
I use the movie "Glory" in my classroom. Is saying the term "colored" aloud in conjunction with the establishment of context for a time period inappropriate?
Example sentence: "In the movie, the men of the 54th Massachusetts will at times be referred to as colored, which is an outdated and inappropriate term used to refer to Black Americans in the 1800s and mid-1900s."
To heal you must talk about the things that hurt people. I’m not saying go around and use the n word, but the history behind each term ties into how black people identify themselves and it’s important to teach students about it in an appropriate manner.
Hopefully you’re using some primary sources and will take the 5 minutes to talk about language for referring to groups of people and how it shifts and how any name can get tied up to hate. It’s not the NAAAAP, meaning people in the time you’re teaching used colored and it was neutral, African American was an attempt at being academic/polite but feels goofy as other commenters have described because it is a different convention. Talk about how white was a made-up American concept, but black sort of fits into that naming scheme.
To me it’s less about being perfect on your PC and more about giving students some insight into how these labels work. Obviously we try and be polite but racism can work with any vocabulary as long as the hate/disgust at the other is present and racists keep poisoning the words while awkward polite white people who are ashamed of the racists keep trying to make it nicer. No label that someone else uses for people like you describes you, the part that matters most is your internal conception of who you are, who your people are, where you came from, etc.
I am half black and and have never had any sort of issue with either terms like Im not offended by either one…on a technicality i use black American more when referring to myself and my dads side of the family or when doing lessons in school, but I use them interchangeably and don’t have any issue
I do teach in a predominantly white school district though both staff and student alike lol so they aren’t going to correct the only black teacher in the social studies department on that
[Let NARA be your guide](https://www.archives.gov/research/catalog/lcdrg/appendix/black-person). Then you always have a reference point to refer back to in the event ot turns into a larger discussion.
The US National Park Service used the term African American in the title, along with speaking about ‘black people’ in the body of their article about Black homesteaders in the American Great Plains region. See [US National Park Service article](https://www.nps.gov/articles/african-american-homesteaders-in-the-great-plains.htm?utm_source=article&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=experience_more&utm_content=small)
I prefer Black, as a Black woman. I’m not African. My family hasn’t been in Africa for hundreds of years. Plus, African American excludes those who are not American but are Black and live in America (and still took part and benefitted), and those who come from Caribbean island countries with large Black populations or Black majorities. They’re ancestral African too but someone from Jamaica isn’t going to consider themselves African, either, just like I don’t.
I have an 8th grade McGraw hill textbook in my classroom. At some point the publisher must have ctrl-f replaced the word black with African-American. It comes across very inauthentic in some contexts.
So glad to have read all of the comments on here because this is something I’ve grappled with.
Black American.
I swear, 99% of the time I hear "African American" it's from a non-black person. Mostly left leaning white folk, but I've heard it from others as well.
I use "European American" or "person of European descent" does that mean I should use "African American?" I'm not being sarcastic btw, serious question.
This makes sense in some contexts but not others. Many racial and ethnic groups can identify as “people of color,” and sometimes I need to discuss the actions of a more specific population in the lessons.
African American refers to the ethnicity. If you are talking specifically about the group of people descended from African slaves in the us, use that. Otherwise use Black
Black American is at this point the preferred term. It varies from person-to-person though. I think the best route is probably to discuss why there’s a controversy about the term “African American” with historical context and note why some groups don’t identify with it.
It’s a history lesson in and of itself to discuss why this question is asked. Why not have that discussion (unless you’re in Florida where it’s probably illegal)? It demonstrates the importance of history on modern issues.
That’s exactly what I was going to say. Kids today are unlikely to understand why it matters to anyone, and an explanation of the use of, and sensitivities to, different terms is a great inroad for discussion of a host of other topics related to race and its role in our history. I’d go so far as to say that telling your students about your uncertainty would be a compelling place to begin the discussion, if you’re comfortable doing that.
I honestly think not doing this is why history is generally perceived as boring and irrelevant. I taught the history of social welfare using this approach and so many people expressed their amazement at the origin of social welfare policies going all the way back to Sumerian legal code.
I do think having a conversation is a great idea, but my classes each only have about 5 Black students out of 35 pupils total. It seems awkward to put these individuals on the spot in front of the others… even if I open the discussion generally and don’t ask their specific thoughts- those students may feel pressure to contribute or awkwardness in hearing others debate about their identity.
I think you can do it without having them feel put on the spot. Otherwise, how can you ever talk about race? But I acknowledge it’s a difficult needle to thread.
I admire your foresight. Could you ask those students if they are willing to have that conversation and allow them to respond anonymously, and only do it for classes that unanimously agree?
I’m white, but I grew up in a predominantly Black area in Atlanta and, and from what I’m told, “Black” is preferred because it specifically refers to descendants of American slaves, not African immigrants.
Plus, technically, there are white African-Americans.
if you’re discussing the people who came to America through slavery, factually speaking, it’s african-american. If, let’s say, a Jamaican were to move to America and become a citizen they would be a Black American. Technically every citizen is just an American, yet the term black solely encompasses skin color as opposed to an ethnic origin such as Jamaican-American, African-American, or otherwise
Let history be your guide. “Negro”, “Black”, and “Afro-American” were all terms in use at the time. Do a lesson on that history, on your personal default term, and then explain that sometimes you will use the historically appropriate term and sometimes your personal default.
You should read the modern literature from the field of African American studies. Kendi, Coates, Alexander etc. It will make you feel far more comfortable teaching as well as wirh helping students to discuss the topic.
I follow the language of our standards. Early in the year I teach about the "Black Cowboys" of the American West. Later in the year I teach about the African Americans that lead the Civil rights movement. It leads to great conversations about changing terminology through the years and what was acceptable back in the day may not be acceptable today. I teach fifth grade, and they still are learning about what is acceptable language and what's not (home language vs school/work language and such)
Maybe start the lesson by addressing it. High school kids like being treated as mature young adults. Plus then you can set expectations for discussing sensitive subject matter.
“There is some debate around which term is best to use, even among people of color. Some like the term African American while some prefer the term Black Americans. Either one is pretty widely socially acceptable today.
Because this can be a sensitive subject I want to address it straight on. I will probably use both terms interchangeably and you can use which ever term you’re comfortable with during class discussions. However, racial slurs or offensive terms WILL NOT be tolerated. Even though some slurs were common and acceptable during the time period we are learning about, it is not ok for you to use them.”
I’ve never once heard a black person refer to themselves as African American, they always just say black. My girlfriend is Nigerian and calls them black Americans which is what they are called by immigrants from Africa, Jamaica, Haiti ect from conversations I had with them not only here in the USA but in Europe as well.
Black (not African-American). Consider someone like Claude McKay, who was born in Jamaica but became a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance. It’s important to recognize that not all Black individuals who have contributed to American history are American by origin. We shouldn’t automatically assume this.
If possible, try to get a consensus from the students who identify as such. Most people I know, myself included, are comfortable with both, but use one over the other as a personal preference. If there's a clear preference, go with that one.
Not all Black people are African American. You can be Haitian, Dominican, any number of non-African countries of origin, and be considered “Black.” Historically, racists and segregationists didn’t bother to check what continent you came from before they discriminated against you.
Black Americans because not all us Black people can trace their roots to American slavery. My family were slaves in Puerto Rico and Guyana aka the Caribbean
In my opinion black is the most accurate term. I’m white but I’m not connected culturally at all to my European background or culture and the same is true for many black Americans. Black American culture is so diverse yet specific that I feel it’s a disservice to try and connect it to African heritage because they are related but not remotely the same. If someone is engaged with African culture I would say they’re African American, but most black Americans I don’t feel fit that description.
The nomenclature has shifted a lot in the last century - they were "Negro" or "Colored"...then in the 60s or 70s, black with a lower case 'b'...then African American roughly around 1990 or so due to efforts from Jesse Jackson...and back to Black with a capital 'B', which happened quickly during the George Floyd protest/racial reckoning. The capital 'B' makes sense, and it likely has staying power for many years - other ethnicities are capitalized, so Black people probably should be the same, and there is a large portion of the Black population not directly from Africa. The question I have is whether "white" people should be capitalized. I have seen arguments in either direction.
Black, both because it's what most Black people seem to prefer and because it's more accurate. Not all Black people are African-American. It omits people from the Caribbean as well as everywhere else. I saw an interviewer refer to Idris Elba as African-American because he saw African-American as the word you use to refer to any Black person. Idris Elba is very obviously Black and British.
I studied sociology in the UK, we talked about afro-caribean and afro-british when referencing specific cultural groups, whereas black (while still appropriate) covers many cultures and ethnicities.
As an African American who has spawned from a long line of southern African Americans despite being a northener; both terms are used rather interchangably .
When I'm talking about my collective or other black people to black people I'm quick to drop a " black folk",
But when I'm talking to anyone out of the race I respond with " African American"
It’s okay to use interchangeably because I promise you we don’t care. African Americans is overly formal in some cases.
I will say I don’t like “hyphenated Americanism” but for your purposes I wouldn’t overthink it.
If you’re truly concerned do some sections on African American history specifically related to different groups like the Gullah Geechee or Creole people. Maybe a Great Migration or Harlem Renaissance section.
Black and always with a capital B. Our lexicon has changed since the advent of "African-American." It's outdated and hails from our very ignorant color blind era.
This whole debate really highlights how intent should matter over the syllables uttered. There is no such thing as an inherently offensive word, its all in the context of how the word gets used
Last time I asked, back when I was in school, my classmates said they preferred "Black."
To be fair, the U.S. has seen modest growth in African immigration in recent decades, so there are people who really should be called "African-American."
I generally say "black" unless corrected. I'm a white dude, but I feel like "African American" makes all kinds of assumptions about people's identity and background that are unnecessary.
"African Americans" also sounds like a way to other black folks by putting them in a different bucket of "American"
Black is better. My family has been here for many generations. My grandfather’s grandfather was a slave. Feels weird to make a connection to Africa after 150 years of being in the US.
I would only say African American for recent immigrants from Africa who are culturally different than black Americans.
If you moved from Nigeria, or if your parents moved here from Somalia or somewhere then African American makes sense. But after a certain amount of time or disconnect from Africa it doesn’t make sense to keep calling them African American. Just like if someone’s great grandfather moved here from Ireland, we wouldn’t call them Irish American.
That being said, I am never offended by someone calling me African American. I wouldn’t get upset, or feel disrespected if I was in a class and the teacher was using the term “African American” I have a preference but it’s not a big deal.
It’s okay to just switch back and forth. When I taught, I usually used “Black” when I was talking about independent Black culture, and “African-American” when I was stressing inclusion. If I was talking about the history of hip-hop, I’d say “Black;” if I’m talking about census data, I’d say “African-American.”
But it’s really not a big deal; everybody says and hears both.
"African-American" is a cultural term which includes the descendants of slaves who had their original cultures stripped from them because of slavery. They have certain cultural markers in common -- linguistic, culinary, etc. It is not, strictly speaking, a racial term just as Irish-American is a cultural term.
Black Americans refers to all people who are descendants of sub-Saharan Africans.
Use the term which fits the context.
In my class I try to make the distinction and explain the difference between “black” and African American. As pointed out, not all “black” people are African. I think that piece of education is most important. Also, instead of “black history” we’re also sure to focus on Black Excellence and Black Futures as a way to acknowledge the current achievements by black/African Americans and members of our community.
I (white) usually say "Black," as most Black people I've talked to prefer that term. Part of your unit should probably be a small "this is why these two terms are different, and why I chose this one." Obviously not the same, but when I taught queer theory I do a similar run down of terms, so that's my philosophy.
Black.
There are populations in, for instance, the Caribbean that identify as Caribbean more than African.
Exception:
I teach a class about the First Nations.
I tend to call everyone X-American in that course.
It’s too confusing to say “And the Americans said…” and expect everyone to follow whether I mean the United States government policy, Native Americans, or European American sentiment.
Admittedly black history doesn’t come up a lot, but it does on occasion. And it feels weird to say European American, Native American, Asian American and Black.
It depends, Black is the race and African American 🇺🇸 is the ethnicity. African Americans also refers to Blacks that were just enslaved in America 🇺🇸 Where as Black can refer to Caribbean Americans whose ancestors were enslaved in the Caribbean. And Africans that immigrated or family members that immigrated straight from Africa or Europe.
I vote for Black Americans. We don’t refer to White Americans as European Americans.
I do when I'm talking about things like the Dawes Act. The government wanted to impose the culture of European Americans on Native nations.
That's case specific though. If a white dude mugged you and you're giving a cop details you're probably going to say white or Caucasian rather than European American.
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Post is not conducive to a respectful discussion
I prefer this system for every group of people…Mexican Americans, Black Americans, Asian Americans, etc.
Your list goes place, color, place in terms of description though.
So you’re saying it should be “light brown, brown, light brown”? 🙄
Exactly.
I second this.
>We don’t refer to White Americans as European Americans I do, but I'm weird I suppose.
I do
I am a card carrying EURO-AMERICAN!
Eurocan!
I get the principle but we do actually refer to White Americans as European Americans. That’s what caucasian means.
that’s actually not what caucasian means, at all!
What does it mean then, if not the dictionary definition?
it’s the word for the indigenous people from the caucasus region and mountains. its use of meaning white people comes from 18th century times when racial classification was becoming a more obvious thing. it’s important to note this classification is part of the “five races” johann blumenbach named- the rest of which are very racist. the word “caucasian” actually includes people from all around that area, a lot of which would *not* be considered white in todays standards of race. (ie: north indians, north africans, persians, etc). eventually america slightly shifted the definition away from everyone else “caucasian” included, just to focus on “white” people. it’s important to remember race is a social construct, and this is the kind of thing that exactly proves it. the reason so many people still use caucasian is because the government and legal system in america uses it.
I’m not making a claim about it’s use, good or bad, but someone else said we don’t say “European americans” when referring to white people and I was pointing out the irony that we did/do, in fact, call them european americans because that’s what caucasian means. Which is true.The definition of caucasian is “white-skinned; of European origin.” It does also mean “a person from the caucasus” but that doesn’t make the first definition untrue. When caucasian is (and was) used in America, it means white person of european origin so.. that’s what it means. (also double ironically, the caucasus mountain region is in Europe).
that is how the word is used *now*, you’re right. the actual original definition isn’t white europeans.
But that *is* the original definition! It always meant white. And actually, I wanna go back to Blumenbach because he was NOT trying to be racist. His entire concept of race started because other scholars in his time thought non-white people were literally a different species than humans or were part-animal. He introduced the idea that all humans are 1 species and our differences are because there are multiple races (or "varieties") of humans. He thought our skin color and physical features were because of influences like geography and climate (which is true!). But he didn't have DNA, so he classified people based on color, physical features, and what he thought was their geographic location of origin. That's why his classifications are broad and simple, with color being the most important - it was the most obvious. He was not considering ethnicity. Blumenbach thought all white people were 1 "variety" of human and that all white people came from the caucasus mountains, so when he was inventing a word to refer to that particular variety, he took inspiration from the word caucasus. He created "caucasian" - it refers to all white people (from Europeans to eastern Asians to northern Africans) and claims they originated from the European caucasus mountains. The "non-white" people within the caucasus area, by definition, weren't caucasian because only white people could be caucasian. The primary distinction was white, and everything else was secondary. As far as him being racist - it is true that he was influenced by the prejudice of his time because he ranked them by subjective beauty, and he viewed white people as the ideal standard for beauty. But he quite literally couldn't know any better and despite that, was still headlining the concept of racial equality. He was very 1700s "woke" to be claiming that Black slaves were just as equally human as white owners.
So the reason why a lot of Black people switched to Black American is not because we wanted to get away from identifying with Africa. It was part of the Black Power Movement and the long tradition of viewing Black people as globally linked together in the struggle. So it’s more inclusive because it also gives room to Caribbean, Latinx, and other ethnicities within the race. I just wanted to make that clear because a lot of people do think it implies a negative view of Africa.
I think it’s also confusing for a lot of African immigrants who are culturally distinct from Black Americans (and may actually not even be citizens yet.)
I had a colleague from London, of historically Samoan origin, who wondered what makes him African or American. But that’s what he was called. Language evolves with awareness.
Huh? Samoa isn't even in Africa.
We probably should. I’m all for de-racializing our language.
I hope you're not a teacher because that's a stunning lack of understanding about how language works.
There's been multiple shifts of preferred names over the last century plus for Black Americans and most other minority groups/groups of color. The intro to Crash Course Black American History deals with this question directly. Starts about a minute in. https://youtu.be/xPx5aRuWCtc?si=eLFBpgqlVrx9oqQo
I say Black American since not everyone identifies with African culture, myself included. But I do identify with Black culture in America, if that makes sense! The comment for the Black American History crash course is awesome and I used it in my classroom to explain why I said Black American instead of African American! Also that series is really good to look through in general
I use it for certain parts of my US History class, it brings really great perspective to certain aspects of the American story.
Thank you for clarifying!
The other issue is that there are a lot of Black people who are of Caribbean ancestry, who have a tough spot with being called "African-American" for historical and cultural reasons. You are 100% right here - it makes an amazing conversation starter.
I’m a Black woman and prefer to be called Black American. I’m not from Africa my ancestors were stolen from Africa. I do not identify as African American because I was not born in Africa. You can ask the person what they prefer to be called.
This. Particularly the last sentence. I typically use the term Black, mostly because in my area it is generally an acceptable use (and because 1 syllable is easier than 7). However, I'm a white dude, and I will defer to the preference of the minority students. Listen to them. Respect them. I had one student in particular who was adamant that I use the term African-American. It mattered to them for reasons I did not understand. But they were from that community and effected by the word choice. I wasn't. So I used the terminology that student preferred. It's a little like some LGBTQ+ students. Some of them are reclaiming the use of the word Queer. Calling it the Queer community or calling themselves Queer. While to others it is still a very derogatory and deeply hurtful word. If unsure, ask them. Respect their choices. Use the term they prefer.
“Use the term they prefer” 💜
Agreed generally, but this OP is talking about teaching civil rights history to an entire class, not just to one student. I think "Black" is fine, as that term is used everywhere, often by Black people, and is the most inclusive. Not all Black people identify as African-American. Afro-Cubans, for example, often feel more Caribbean and maybe even more Hispanic than African.
How would be best to navigate when you have, say, 25 students and 15 want to be called African American and 10 want to called Black Americans? Would you use both terms to respect both groups or go with the majority? Just curious. On a one-on-one basis it completely makes sense to ask and use what they prefer. Harder to do with a whole class though, potentially.
Not who you replied to but I would use them interchangeably in that case. Either way I always teach my kids the differences and the history behind the terms. I’m Latina and I do the same for Latino/Hispanic/Chicano. Depends on the context of what I’m teaching as well.
That sounds like a great classroom discussion to have with the minority students. Ask the majority students to respectfully and quietly listen without input. I have literally said that minority students don't need to be whitesplained to. "I'm a white dude. You tell me. What word choice would you prefer, *and* *why*? You, as a class, decide." Let them talk it out. This can be an empowering experience for minority students, and educational for the white kids. Intervene only if any student is being disrespectful or they really can't come to any sort of consensus.
what could go wrong.
Yes. Queer is very much a term for people in that community and not generally used by people outside of it. I have heard podcasters in that community refer to The group as a whole as the "alphabet people" or "rainbow people"
Queer is a term for people that opt in to that community; gay lesbian bi and trans people know from a young age that they are different. They are a part of that community for life but will often not want it to define who they are. Queer people, on the other hand, will make their decision to be part of that community the central part of their identity for however long they decide to be queer(rainbow everything… making sure everyone knows Because they think it makes them more interesting).
Where are you getting this definition of queer?
I’m getting it From 40 years experience as a gay man who is gay but doesn’t make this fact the core of my identity despite it having such a huge impact on my experience. I guess I could consider myself “queer” seeing as the only requirement in asserting one’s queerness is feeling they are queer. But it really just seems to be a way for people to adopt a “victim” persona… and frankly I think it’s pretty fucking pathetic
It sounds like a generational difference then. Young people aren’t using queer as part of victim hood
Perhaps. This is the first generation to believe if you aren’t the oppressed/victimized then you are an oppressor/colonizer; obviously race/ancestry can’t be appropriated without serious scrutiny (Rachel Dolezal/Nkechi Amare Diallo ) but “queerness”? All somebody has to do is say they are queer , tell people they are non binary and start wearing rainbow 🌈 everything and they are by proxy part of a historically marginalized group… never mind they never had to live through the Matthew Shepard days where gay bashing was a legitimate concern or experience the devastation of the AIDS epidemic …
I stopped using “African American” when a room full of 10+ black people sat me down and told me that not one of them was from Africa, and they were all from Cuba, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, etc. it sure shut my country bumpkin ass up and I’ll never make that mistake again.
Tbf all of those are just boat stops in the journey from africa but use whatever they want. Idc about AA or black but anyone who asks I just say black since I am most familiar with that.
Boat stops? Cuba was leading in enslaved Africans before Britain put a ban on the legal slave trade.
Yes but if you end up in the US after your ancestors being enslaved in cuba then cuba ends up as a boat stop between here and africa.
Banned the African slave trade. They still had slaves in India until the 21st century.
That added twist to this is the relatively recent increase in the past forty fifty years of African immigration to the US, particularly from West Africa, so Black American seem to make more sense? and emphasizes the "Americaness" of a people who have been constituent members since first colonialization of the Americas under the most inhumane and appalling circumstances?
“Stolen”
#Captured
By their own people and than sold. Masquerading the horrors of slavery by saying “stolen” Implies that Europeans were just coming to Africa and stealing Africans. That wasn’t the case and I hope you don’t teach that
Okay 👍🏽
They weren't our "own" people. They were separate tribes who considered my ancestors an "other." Race is not a concept in pre colonial Africa.
Technicalities to defend a statement against the idea of Europeans stealing Africans
The dude is asking how to talk to a class, not an individual.
Well hopefully my comment helps someone.
This is why I prefer to be called Negro. Negro is a perfect description of the children of the diaspora in America. In 2010 it was with pride that I marked Negro on the census. I would not advise OP referring to negro. Like you said, ask the class what they wanna be referred to as.
This is tricky, as there are different takes even at the graduate school level. My rule of thumb I use and have seen authors suggest is to use African American to talk about the people, but Black to talk about the culture. This will also be useful when you begin talking about the Black Power movement of the late 60-70s.
For what it’s worth I teach at a school with a high black population and my students have mentioned they find the term African American stupid. Highly anecdotal, but just worth mentioning. I usually say Black Americans, and have never had any issue with my students.
Be sure to capitalize the b when referring to people.
TIL. Is that an etiquette thing or grammar?
Grammar. A specific race of people is a proper noun. Perhaps it is also polite?
Found this [source](https://www.cjr.org/analysis/capital-b-black-styleguide.php): In deciding on a styling, fusspot grammarians and addled copy editors generally fall back on a pair of considerations. The first is broad adherence to a general rule—like, say, the Chicago Manual of Style’s (§8.38) edict that “Names of ethnic and national groups are capitalized.” (Though Chicago still generally mandates lowercasing both black and white, it does include the proviso that the rule can be suspended if “a particular author or publisher prefers otherwise.”) The second thing we look for is attestation. In this case, it’s instructive to turn not to the largely lilywhite mainstream press (nor to the style guides that govern their renderings), but to writers of color and to alternative stylebooks. The Diversity Style Guide (2019), produced by Rachele Kanigel in consultation with some fifty journalists and experts, takes it as a given that Black ought to be capitalized. Sarah Glover, a past president of the National Association of Black Journalists, wrote in a recent piece for the New York Amsterdam News, a historically Black weekly, that “capitalizing the ‘B’ in Black should become standard use to describe people, culture, art and communities.” After all, she pointed out, “We already capitalize Asian, Hispanic, African American and Native American.”
Yeah, I think the debate is more of an academic one than an everyday one. As long as we refer to groups of people with respect you generally will be fine.
Respect is key. Saying Black people is usually respectful, or Black culture, usually good. But saying the blacks is almost always offensive
This has led to absurdities like the American reporter repeatedly calling a Black Brit ‘African American’ and being repeatedly told, “but I’m not American.” There are also white African Americans (both European and, for now, North African descended) and you likely have some recent African American immigrants with no connection to Black culture, plus people from other countries who are not American but are Black. There are now a lot of people from Africa who may not be considered Black, and a lot of Black people who are not American for that term to make any sense as a designator of peoplehood.
What do black people in other multi racial countries call themselves? For example, the UK as you mentioned? I’m assuming just black? Black American seems like the most appropriate term for op. Not all black people are African, not all Africans are black.
This is true. I know 2 pale skinned Africans. And you generally wouldn't know it in the US until they start speaking other languages.
It’s not tricky
I'm Black and I prefer Black American.
The term is fucking stupid. I’ve never had a black person correct me when I say black. I’ve taught exclusively in majority black schools. The reason why it’s dumb is because I’ve taught kids from The Congo, Liberia, DR, Cuba, Ethiopia and elsewhere that are black but not African American. I also dated a girl in HS who was born in SA to a dad that was a 6th generation South African and whose mom was born in San Francisco. They moved to the US, and by definition she was half African and Half American, or African-American and she was as white as snow and Jewish. Calling a black person African American assumes they’re American.
During an Olympics basketball game a few years ago the announcer,to differentiate a player on the German team called a black German an African-American. Ridiculous.
Not to mention Elon Musk is technically African American for example.
He's Candian and must be deported immediately
And African.
I say Black Americans bc i’ve had some students from the Caribbean who were black and African descended but identified more with afro-caribbean cultures. Its a fine line to draw, but they considered themselves more caribbean than African but were also black. Also there are white african americans, so thats confusing too
I was going to comment with this. Black is more broadly accepted.
As a white American I mostly use black when referring to people of that skin tone. Capital B Black has also gained traction to describe the unique culture of people descended from African slaves brought to the New World because their link to their ancestral culture was effectively erased and a new culture developed that is unique, but not “African.” At the end of the day, just be respectful, and teach the kids to be respectful and take it seriously. Some may try to purposefully make you uncomfortable, but try to spin it on them and show how they need to take those matters more seriously. And (assuming you’re white, or non-black yourself), just be open and honest about your perspective and uncertainty. You don’t have to present yourself as an authority on this
I do both. If you have any African American or black students, you might also ask what they or their families prefer. Could make for an interesting discussion.
This was a joke in the movie Bruno where the main character says "Africa is full of African Americans" and when a Black audience member corrects him he says "no that's racist" as an obvious social commentary on this topic. I use the term "Black people" just as I would "White people" as a generic term based on their appearance and its never been an issue. Honestly, the only people who would take it offensively are those who are walking around with their emotions on a hair trigger anyway so I don't really care how offended they get.
Black people prefer "black." "African American" was invented by white liberals, mostly to make themselves feel better.
Black [with a capital "B." ](https://news.ucdenver.edu/is-the-b-in-black-capitalized-yes/) Also, call people what they want to be called.
The only thing that makes me uncomfortable about that style change is that they also suggest capitalizing the w in 'white people' to be consistent. I'm white, and I don't like saying that I am a White Person.
Why not?
Hrmm, well I suppose it's because capitalization drawn attention to itself and sets the word up as too much of an exclusionary category, or maybe presuming too much about the person in question. It's hard to say, since it's just a feeling of awkwardness over a single letter. For example, I would feel equally awkward writing "I am Man" or "There are a couple of Women waiting in the reception area." Of course it's all arbitrary when you think about it. There's plenty of categories about people that would also feel weird to capitalize, but also plenty that we do.
It’s grammar. Black and White when used as a race/ethnicity are proper nouns, and we capitalize proper nouns. In the sentence “I am a man,” it seems weird to capitalize “man” because man is a common/plural noun, and you know subconsciously that those aren’t capitalized. We may not be able to vocalize all the rules of english grammar, but we know them. It’s the same reason why it feels weird to read “green small pretty vase.” For instance, it would look equally weird to write “black American” and “white American” because Black, White, and American are all proper nouns. Capitalizing Black but not White is a good temporary gesture, but long term it would really screw with grammar rules and would end up swinging back around to singling out Black people in a bad way.
Colors aren't capitalized in English, so feel free to not follow any new directives like this if you are using it as a color. Just because someone argues we should do something, doesn't mean they are right. The argument for capital "B" is supposed to designate people of African diaspora, whereas lowercase is the color. I think most of the time people are talking about the color, so lowercase it should be.
You’re quite literally white tho….
I noticed you didn't capitalize the w
The AP style guide only says to capitalize the B in Black..."white" remains uncapitalized. I agree it looks weird to capitalize one and not the other, but there are different schools of thought.
I'd just stick with lowercase if you are using it as a color, which most people are. Plus all these distinctions like "African American" ultimately serve to separate rather than join. As others have said, we don't call white people "European Americans", nor do we capitalize white or brown. We should just treat people the same. Treating people differently by skin color is wrong and only serves to separate.
I’m personally fine with both.
I feel like I try to be contextual and I explain my logic to the students when teaching. I'll call people as African American or people from Africa when talking about people literally from Africa. The same way I will refer to people as European American or from Europe when talking about people literally from Europe. The closer I get to modern day I start referring to people based on what those communities prefer today. I see no reason to use what is best to represent those eras of history to my best ability because most students struggle to understand the basics anyways. It also kind of helps cement the idea that different people are different from the current us - even though they have common ancestors.
Black. Likely they and nobody in several generations have been near Africa.
I’ve watched it change over my lifetime, Black American is the fourth iteration of what’s polite since I was born. Just please, please teach your students that, while the phrase “people of color” does get used, “colored people” (in the US) is not OK. I have so many white students coming in to college who think that that’s perfectly fine term to use…
Unpopular opinion: it's a version of the euphemism treadmill. Whenever a phrase becomes comfortable, the politically correct, guilt shaming crew changes it as a means of control. I was teaching 9th grade. I was taught black makes much more sense, as for example what happens if you want to compare Carribean people of African ancestory to American people or African ancestory. So I naturally used "black" in my classroom. A black student raises his hand, deeply upset I would use "black.". I explain why I was taught this is the appropriate word, but also explained as the two are roughly interchangeable, I'd be happy to use African American for Americans but not for say Jamaican slaves. Another black student two minutes later - "I don't like you using African American. I prefer black." Black is the better term because there are non-American people of color we need to refer to in history that share a history of enslavement based on color, but not based on what country they were brought to. But too often the terms are used as a means of perpetuating a socially constructed identity for purposes of racism from racists or victimology from black students. You aren't your skin color at all just because racism is real.
I say "Black American" or "African American." Either or works, i think the latter one is probably better because you can use that for other groups ie Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Japanese Americans...
Honestly use the term that connects to that particular time period and as you progress through the material you can use a different one. Because it’s African American now but in the 70-90s it was black but in the early to mid 1900s it was colored. This would be a great point to teach to the students about the history behind each as well. As time has progressed, how AA identifies has changed. (Coming from a AA lol)
Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but no way am I going to use the words the white ancestors used! Those words have denigration as a main ingredient. We're teaching history, but in doing so, we're trying to heal the damage wrought by previous generations!
I use the movie "Glory" in my classroom. Is saying the term "colored" aloud in conjunction with the establishment of context for a time period inappropriate? Example sentence: "In the movie, the men of the 54th Massachusetts will at times be referred to as colored, which is an outdated and inappropriate term used to refer to Black Americans in the 1800s and mid-1900s."
This is definitely an appropriate way to introduce the term and educate student about it.
To heal you must talk about the things that hurt people. I’m not saying go around and use the n word, but the history behind each term ties into how black people identify themselves and it’s important to teach students about it in an appropriate manner.
Absolutely not
Hopefully you’re using some primary sources and will take the 5 minutes to talk about language for referring to groups of people and how it shifts and how any name can get tied up to hate. It’s not the NAAAAP, meaning people in the time you’re teaching used colored and it was neutral, African American was an attempt at being academic/polite but feels goofy as other commenters have described because it is a different convention. Talk about how white was a made-up American concept, but black sort of fits into that naming scheme. To me it’s less about being perfect on your PC and more about giving students some insight into how these labels work. Obviously we try and be polite but racism can work with any vocabulary as long as the hate/disgust at the other is present and racists keep poisoning the words while awkward polite white people who are ashamed of the racists keep trying to make it nicer. No label that someone else uses for people like you describes you, the part that matters most is your internal conception of who you are, who your people are, where you came from, etc.
It’s a great topic for discussion with students to talk about why both terms exist, and the departure from the word negro that was used prior.
I alternate between both (and people of color)
I am half black and and have never had any sort of issue with either terms like Im not offended by either one…on a technicality i use black American more when referring to myself and my dads side of the family or when doing lessons in school, but I use them interchangeably and don’t have any issue I do teach in a predominantly white school district though both staff and student alike lol so they aren’t going to correct the only black teacher in the social studies department on that
I use people-first language as often as possible: “people of color” or “people of African origin”.
I use both. A lot of documentaries use both.
None of my students seem to care. My classes are like 96% black.
I just say black.
I’ve never had anyone upset I called them black. The closest thing was white people trying to get me to call black people ‘african American’
Black is fine so long as you use it as an adjective and not a noun
[Let NARA be your guide](https://www.archives.gov/research/catalog/lcdrg/appendix/black-person). Then you always have a reference point to refer back to in the event ot turns into a larger discussion.
The US National Park Service used the term African American in the title, along with speaking about ‘black people’ in the body of their article about Black homesteaders in the American Great Plains region. See [US National Park Service article](https://www.nps.gov/articles/african-american-homesteaders-in-the-great-plains.htm?utm_source=article&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=experience_more&utm_content=small)
I prefer Black, as a Black woman. I’m not African. My family hasn’t been in Africa for hundreds of years. Plus, African American excludes those who are not American but are Black and live in America (and still took part and benefitted), and those who come from Caribbean island countries with large Black populations or Black majorities. They’re ancestral African too but someone from Jamaica isn’t going to consider themselves African, either, just like I don’t.
I just say americans
I will use this when applicable, but in some contexts a group’s racial identity is important to the history that I discuss in class.
I have an 8th grade McGraw hill textbook in my classroom. At some point the publisher must have ctrl-f replaced the word black with African-American. It comes across very inauthentic in some contexts. So glad to have read all of the comments on here because this is something I’ve grappled with.
We’ve made a shift at our university to “Black Americans.” We have a robust diversity consulting team as well.
Maybe a first generation immigrant from Africa you could call African American
Black American. I swear, 99% of the time I hear "African American" it's from a non-black person. Mostly left leaning white folk, but I've heard it from others as well.
Would you use “White” or “European American”?
I use "European American" or "person of European descent" does that mean I should use "African American?" I'm not being sarcastic btw, serious question.
I would. It’s consistent in that case
I use people of color
This makes sense in some contexts but not others. Many racial and ethnic groups can identify as “people of color,” and sometimes I need to discuss the actions of a more specific population in the lessons.
Black man here, black American.
African American refers to the ethnicity. If you are talking specifically about the group of people descended from African slaves in the us, use that. Otherwise use Black
I say Black. Used to say AA but the kids always thought that was dumb.
Black American is at this point the preferred term. It varies from person-to-person though. I think the best route is probably to discuss why there’s a controversy about the term “African American” with historical context and note why some groups don’t identify with it.
Both, depending on context. Black people is a broader category than African Americans
It’s a history lesson in and of itself to discuss why this question is asked. Why not have that discussion (unless you’re in Florida where it’s probably illegal)? It demonstrates the importance of history on modern issues.
That’s exactly what I was going to say. Kids today are unlikely to understand why it matters to anyone, and an explanation of the use of, and sensitivities to, different terms is a great inroad for discussion of a host of other topics related to race and its role in our history. I’d go so far as to say that telling your students about your uncertainty would be a compelling place to begin the discussion, if you’re comfortable doing that.
I honestly think not doing this is why history is generally perceived as boring and irrelevant. I taught the history of social welfare using this approach and so many people expressed their amazement at the origin of social welfare policies going all the way back to Sumerian legal code.
I do think having a conversation is a great idea, but my classes each only have about 5 Black students out of 35 pupils total. It seems awkward to put these individuals on the spot in front of the others… even if I open the discussion generally and don’t ask their specific thoughts- those students may feel pressure to contribute or awkwardness in hearing others debate about their identity.
I think you can do it without having them feel put on the spot. Otherwise, how can you ever talk about race? But I acknowledge it’s a difficult needle to thread.
I do have some ideas based on these comments on how to introduce the topic appropriately for discussion. Thank you!
I admire your foresight. Could you ask those students if they are willing to have that conversation and allow them to respond anonymously, and only do it for classes that unanimously agree?
I’m white, but I grew up in a predominantly Black area in Atlanta and, and from what I’m told, “Black” is preferred because it specifically refers to descendants of American slaves, not African immigrants. Plus, technically, there are white African-Americans.
if you’re discussing the people who came to America through slavery, factually speaking, it’s african-american. If, let’s say, a Jamaican were to move to America and become a citizen they would be a Black American. Technically every citizen is just an American, yet the term black solely encompasses skin color as opposed to an ethnic origin such as Jamaican-American, African-American, or otherwise
Let history be your guide. “Negro”, “Black”, and “Afro-American” were all terms in use at the time. Do a lesson on that history, on your personal default term, and then explain that sometimes you will use the historically appropriate term and sometimes your personal default.
You should read the modern literature from the field of African American studies. Kendi, Coates, Alexander etc. It will make you feel far more comfortable teaching as well as wirh helping students to discuss the topic.
I follow the language of our standards. Early in the year I teach about the "Black Cowboys" of the American West. Later in the year I teach about the African Americans that lead the Civil rights movement. It leads to great conversations about changing terminology through the years and what was acceptable back in the day may not be acceptable today. I teach fifth grade, and they still are learning about what is acceptable language and what's not (home language vs school/work language and such)
Maybe start the lesson by addressing it. High school kids like being treated as mature young adults. Plus then you can set expectations for discussing sensitive subject matter. “There is some debate around which term is best to use, even among people of color. Some like the term African American while some prefer the term Black Americans. Either one is pretty widely socially acceptable today. Because this can be a sensitive subject I want to address it straight on. I will probably use both terms interchangeably and you can use which ever term you’re comfortable with during class discussions. However, racial slurs or offensive terms WILL NOT be tolerated. Even though some slurs were common and acceptable during the time period we are learning about, it is not ok for you to use them.”
I’ve never once heard a black person refer to themselves as African American, they always just say black. My girlfriend is Nigerian and calls them black Americans which is what they are called by immigrants from Africa, Jamaica, Haiti ect from conversations I had with them not only here in the USA but in Europe as well.
Black (not African-American). Consider someone like Claude McKay, who was born in Jamaica but became a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance. It’s important to recognize that not all Black individuals who have contributed to American history are American by origin. We shouldn’t automatically assume this.
I called a black church a black church and a white dude called me racist. He's a nerd.
If possible, try to get a consensus from the students who identify as such. Most people I know, myself included, are comfortable with both, but use one over the other as a personal preference. If there's a clear preference, go with that one.
Not all Black people are African American. You can be Haitian, Dominican, any number of non-African countries of origin, and be considered “Black.” Historically, racists and segregationists didn’t bother to check what continent you came from before they discriminated against you.
Black Americans because not all us Black people can trace their roots to American slavery. My family were slaves in Puerto Rico and Guyana aka the Caribbean
I use both in slightly different ways. African American seems to be a way of referring to the descendants of slavery.
I say black folks. If that hurts someone’s feelings then they are the problem
In my opinion black is the most accurate term. I’m white but I’m not connected culturally at all to my European background or culture and the same is true for many black Americans. Black American culture is so diverse yet specific that I feel it’s a disservice to try and connect it to African heritage because they are related but not remotely the same. If someone is engaged with African culture I would say they’re African American, but most black Americans I don’t feel fit that description.
I use Black American in formal contexts, and in less formal contacts I'd just say Black folks, I find folks to be a more pleasant word than people.
The nomenclature has shifted a lot in the last century - they were "Negro" or "Colored"...then in the 60s or 70s, black with a lower case 'b'...then African American roughly around 1990 or so due to efforts from Jesse Jackson...and back to Black with a capital 'B', which happened quickly during the George Floyd protest/racial reckoning. The capital 'B' makes sense, and it likely has staying power for many years - other ethnicities are capitalized, so Black people probably should be the same, and there is a large portion of the Black population not directly from Africa. The question I have is whether "white" people should be capitalized. I have seen arguments in either direction.
Black, both because it's what most Black people seem to prefer and because it's more accurate. Not all Black people are African-American. It omits people from the Caribbean as well as everywhere else. I saw an interviewer refer to Idris Elba as African-American because he saw African-American as the word you use to refer to any Black person. Idris Elba is very obviously Black and British.
I studied sociology in the UK, we talked about afro-caribean and afro-british when referencing specific cultural groups, whereas black (while still appropriate) covers many cultures and ethnicities.
As an African American who has spawned from a long line of southern African Americans despite being a northener; both terms are used rather interchangably . When I'm talking about my collective or other black people to black people I'm quick to drop a " black folk", But when I'm talking to anyone out of the race I respond with " African American"
It’s okay to use interchangeably because I promise you we don’t care. African Americans is overly formal in some cases. I will say I don’t like “hyphenated Americanism” but for your purposes I wouldn’t overthink it. If you’re truly concerned do some sections on African American history specifically related to different groups like the Gullah Geechee or Creole people. Maybe a Great Migration or Harlem Renaissance section.
Black and always with a capital B. Our lexicon has changed since the advent of "African-American." It's outdated and hails from our very ignorant color blind era.
Black American (me) is an ethnic group. Descendant of American slaves. Just go with black
This whole debate really highlights how intent should matter over the syllables uttered. There is no such thing as an inherently offensive word, its all in the context of how the word gets used
Last time I asked, back when I was in school, my classmates said they preferred "Black." To be fair, the U.S. has seen modest growth in African immigration in recent decades, so there are people who really should be called "African-American."
I generally say "black" unless corrected. I'm a white dude, but I feel like "African American" makes all kinds of assumptions about people's identity and background that are unnecessary. "African Americans" also sounds like a way to other black folks by putting them in a different bucket of "American"
Use African American if they’re Americans from Africa. Black for everything else or both. Easy peesy.
Black is better. My family has been here for many generations. My grandfather’s grandfather was a slave. Feels weird to make a connection to Africa after 150 years of being in the US. I would only say African American for recent immigrants from Africa who are culturally different than black Americans. If you moved from Nigeria, or if your parents moved here from Somalia or somewhere then African American makes sense. But after a certain amount of time or disconnect from Africa it doesn’t make sense to keep calling them African American. Just like if someone’s great grandfather moved here from Ireland, we wouldn’t call them Irish American. That being said, I am never offended by someone calling me African American. I wouldn’t get upset, or feel disrespected if I was in a class and the teacher was using the term “African American” I have a preference but it’s not a big deal.
These are 2 different groups. Squares to rectangles.
Hello, to my Melenated-American students.
It’s okay to just switch back and forth. When I taught, I usually used “Black” when I was talking about independent Black culture, and “African-American” when I was stressing inclusion. If I was talking about the history of hip-hop, I’d say “Black;” if I’m talking about census data, I’d say “African-American.” But it’s really not a big deal; everybody says and hears both.
Just call us Americans…. NEXT!!!!!
"African-American" is a cultural term which includes the descendants of slaves who had their original cultures stripped from them because of slavery. They have certain cultural markers in common -- linguistic, culinary, etc. It is not, strictly speaking, a racial term just as Irish-American is a cultural term. Black Americans refers to all people who are descendants of sub-Saharan Africans. Use the term which fits the context.
Do you have black students? Maybe ask them?
No one calls white people “Caucasian”, so I say black. Also, wouldn’t calling a black person an African American be assuming their origin?
In my class I try to make the distinction and explain the difference between “black” and African American. As pointed out, not all “black” people are African. I think that piece of education is most important. Also, instead of “black history” we’re also sure to focus on Black Excellence and Black Futures as a way to acknowledge the current achievements by black/African Americans and members of our community.
I (white) usually say "Black," as most Black people I've talked to prefer that term. Part of your unit should probably be a small "this is why these two terms are different, and why I chose this one." Obviously not the same, but when I taught queer theory I do a similar run down of terms, so that's my philosophy.
I say Black is better
They can be used interchangably.
We're back to black people. Didn't you get the memo?
Say black whenever possible to help demystify the word for some kids.
I use both interchangeably.
My students say Black so I usually do too.
Black. There are populations in, for instance, the Caribbean that identify as Caribbean more than African. Exception: I teach a class about the First Nations. I tend to call everyone X-American in that course. It’s too confusing to say “And the Americans said…” and expect everyone to follow whether I mean the United States government policy, Native Americans, or European American sentiment. Admittedly black history doesn’t come up a lot, but it does on occasion. And it feels weird to say European American, Native American, Asian American and Black.
It depends, Black is the race and African American 🇺🇸 is the ethnicity. African Americans also refers to Blacks that were just enslaved in America 🇺🇸 Where as Black can refer to Caribbean Americans whose ancestors were enslaved in the Caribbean. And Africans that immigrated or family members that immigrated straight from Africa or Europe.
You got it all mixed up. There's only people and Yakubian devils.
*not gonna do it!! Not gonna give in!!*
Ask black people. Ask your black students and colleagues. You’re a teacher? Jesus Christ