African American

Sometimes Af·ra·mer·i·can

[af-ri-kuhn uh-mer-i-kuhn]

noun

1. an American with Black African ancestry.

adjective

1. of or relating to African Americans.

2. African-American, occurring between the United States and Africa.

   Several international charities are promoting African-American cooperation in expanding access to safe drinking water.

African-American

noun

1. an American of African descent

adjective

1. of or relating to Americans of African descent

Usage

This is the currently preferred term in the US for people of African ancestry

During the 1980s, many Americans sought to display pride in their immigrant origins. Linguistically, this brought about a brief period of short-form hyphenated designations, like Italo-Americans and Greco-Americans. The Black community also embraced the existing term Afro-American, a label that emphasized geographical or ethnic heritage over skin color. The related label, African American, also saw an increase in use among activists in the 1970s and 1980s. African American was even more widely adopted in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s after high-profile Black leaders advocated for it, arguing, as Jesse Jackson did, that the term brought “proper historical context” and had “cultural integrity.” See Black ¹.

Word History and Origins

Origin of African-American¹

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90

Example Sentences

Townsend, an African-American, was also asked if she thought there was a racial undertone to Ostapenko's comments.

From BBC

The pair became a role model for a generation of African-American girls growing up in the late 1990s and early 2000s - as well as millions more of all ages.

From BBC

The US National Archives said the records it released ahead of the 70th anniversary of the African-American youth's killing were "watershed moment in American history".

From BBC

The two-week process was smooth, the vacuum-sealed package nerve-wracking to open, but inside was a perfectly fitting gown that made her feel like "like Tiana" on prom night - referring to Disney's first African-American princess.

From BBC

Just last week, Benin appointed renowned American filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, a seasoned producer and author, as its ambassadors for African-Americans in the US.

From BBC