African American

African American refers to Americans of Black African descent, particularly those whose ancestors were brought to North America as enslaved people.

The term emerged in the 1980s as a preferred alternative to Black, emphasizing cultural heritage and parallel construction with other ethnic designations like Italian American.

Today both African American and Black are standard, with Black often preferred for its simplicity and inclusiveness of recent immigrants.

African American history, the African American community.

Also used as a noun: She's an African American.