African American vs Black vs African American

[mccoyred]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

I can see and feel that connection every day when I look in the faces of Black people from every corner of the world and note how very similar our features are and when I interact with my husband (who's from Ghana) and note how very alike we are (culturally) even though we were raised in two very different places. And calling yourself "Black" is fine as long as you realize that all people of African descent can call themselves Black so the term is not specific to African Americans.

This is precisely why I prefer the term Black. It encompasses ALL of the Diaspora. We in America have to realize that we are NOT isolated. We DO have much in common with Blacks from around the world because our struggles are the same! To me, the term African American is too limiting and sets up an 'Us vs Them' adversarial relationship between peoples who should be working towards the same goal.

As for the American part, I would accept the term Black American because it acknowledges the connection to other Diasporans as Black but also the fact that I am an American with all the rights and priviledges thereof.