African American or black—what’s the right term to use?

By Hannah Yi

Published October 22, 2016

Listening to Donald Trump this campaign season has been an education on how to not talk about race. Something always feels a bit off when Trump says, “the African Americans” or “the blacks.”

So what is the right way to use those terms? Watch our video for some historical context and to find out: When do you use “black” instead of “African American”?

African American or black—what’s the right term to use?

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