# Is using "Black" instead of "African-American" generally considered offensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 23, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046 "2014-02-23T23:48:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/61 "2014-02-26T15:33:35Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > “Indian” is just fine for the various USA\* Indian tribes, just don’t call the Eskimo “Indians”. which is why we use “Native American” to include both. > > - Some Canadians will get their panties in a bunch, but who cares?😃 In Alaska, Eskimos are referred to as Alaska Natives, Eskimos, or by cultural group, i.e., Inuit, Inupiat, etc. In all my years there, I never heard anybody refer to them as “Native Americans”. Members of the Indian tribes there are generally referred to by tribal affiliation, i.e., Tlingit, Aleut, Tshimshian, et al. I can see where a general grouping of “Native Americans” could apply to all and sundry in an academic setting, however. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/62 "2014-02-26T17:24:30Z")
I use African American when referring to things that are specifically African American. Black music, for example, is too broad to mean much. But African American music is meaningful. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/63 "2014-02-26T19:22:03Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > In Alaska, Eskimos are referred to as Alaska Natives, Eskimos, or by cultural group, i.e., Inuit, Inupiat, etc. In all my years there, I never heard anybody refer to them as “Native Americans”. Members of the Indian tribes there are generally referred to by tribal affiliation, i.e., Tlingit, Aleut, Tshimshian, et al. I can see where a general grouping of “Native Americans” could apply to all and sundry in an academic setting, however. Yes, but when you want to refer to _both_ Inuit & Cree and every other such tribe, the term is “native American”. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/64 "2014-02-27T17:25:45Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > I got called out for using the adjective “Black”, on the basis that I should have used the more respectful “African-American”. My transgression was the topic of dinner table conversation for a few minutes. The setting was a big official event centered partly on discussion of ethnicity and racism, and the issue wasn’t my bringing up race, not at all – it was the choice of term. I’m not African-American or Black myself, I’m an outsider to that demographic group. > > I understand my use of “Black” was offensive at that time to the person who addressed me about it, but I didn’t know or anticipate that it would be, and looking around online hasn’t cleared it up for me. I’ve avoided the term “Black” since then, but I wish I knew more about whether I should and why. So, generally, is “Black” considered an offensive term? And is “African-American” safe? > > Thanks! I am black, and I don’t consider it an offensive term. I don’t like “African-American” for several reasons. One, it has too many damn syllables. Two, it seems off-putting and oddly non-parallel that, for instance, Jodie Foster is Black but Gabrielle Union is “African-American.” Three, I don’t feel any connection to Africa. I’m an American. I’ve been called out for saying black too – once by a white person. I did not punch him in the throat, which was very selfish of me. ---
**Author:** ![Roundabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dec6dc/32.png) [@Roundabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roundabout)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/65 "2014-02-27T17:36:18Z")
Black is fine as a general term. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/66 "2014-02-27T17:40:33Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, but when you want to refer to _both_ Inuit & Cree and every other such tribe, the term is “native American”. Yeah, that’s pretty much what I said in the last sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/67 "2014-02-27T17:51:45Z")
Ever since someone from Jamaica called me out for calling them African-American I just say black. If someone protests I say “I don’t know where they’re from.” ---
**Author:** ![ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisUsernameIsForbidden)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/68 "2014-02-27T18:04:26Z")
“Black” is no more offensive than “White”. This is just politically-motivated BS to get people riled-up. I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone complain about being “Black” rather than “African-American” It’s only people with some cross to bear that feel the need to shame someone for using a term the political winds dictate is incorrect at this point in time. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/69 "2014-02-27T18:55:43Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I don’t like “African-American” for several reasons. One, it has too many damn syllables. Two, it seems off-putting and oddly non-parallel that, for instance, Jodie Foster is Black but Gabrielle Union is “African-American.” Jodie Foster is black? Does she know this? ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/70 "2014-02-27T19:00:58Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I’ve been called out for saying black too – once by a white person. misremembered song lyric: “Everybody wants to school the world.” ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/71 "2014-02-27T19:16:07Z")
> [@bump](#): > > You should tell him he’s a “He-bro”. If only that was his biggest oddity, I would. As it is, I usually just go with “psycho”. I would be thrilled to deal with a crazy-ass He-bro. ---
**Author:** ![SprungFromCages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@SprungFromCages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SprungFromCages)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/72 "2014-02-27T19:17:58Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I am black, and I don’t consider it an offensive term. I don’t like “African-American” for several reasons. One, it has too many damn syllables. Two, it seems off-putting and oddly non-parallel that, for instance, Jodie Foster is Black but Gabrielle Union is “African-American.” Three, I don’t feel any connection to Africa. I’m an American. > > I’ve been called out for saying black too – once by a white person. I did not punch him in the throat, which was very selfish of me. Jodie Foster is black? I’m a fairly well-educated white person from the rural south, and during childhood (80’s and 90’s) I was under the impression that African American was preferred, and black was bad. In the 2000’s black seemed to gain favor and is now also okay to use. I played American football for a long time and all the malatonin-heavy dudes used “black” to describe themselves, and I started to use it too without incident. How about “dark skinned” and “light skinned” as strictly descriptive terms? ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/73 "2014-02-27T19:58:49Z")
I use Black and African-American interchangeably, except of course if the subject is obviously not African-American. I’ve even been known to bust out with a Negro from time to time, which I find merely archaic, and not offensive. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/74 "2014-02-27T20:00:26Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I use African American when referring to things that are specifically African American. Black music, for example, is too broad to mean much. But African American music is meaningful. Ehhh, that’s still pretty damn broad… ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/75 "2014-02-28T00:50:01Z")
> [@SprungFromCages](#): > > How about “dark skinned” and “light skinned” as strictly descriptive terms? Mediterranean Europeans and non-sub-Saharan Africans, some sub-continent Indians, … a lot are darker than many African Americans. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/76 "2014-02-28T01:53:11Z")
> [@SprungFromCages](#): > > J > > How about “dark skinned” and “light skinned” as strictly descriptive terms? If I’m describing the physical appearance of a light-skinned black person to another black person, I will describe them as “light-skinned”. But it’s already understood that we’re talking about a black person, so they know I’m likely talking about someone of a reddish to a yellow hue. (If they’re really light, I’ll say, “damn near white” or something like that). But if I was actually talking about a white person and I called them “light skinned”, I would expect confusion to ensue. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/77 "2014-02-28T03:52:15Z")
Ever since I visited the set of The Wire and mistakenly called Idris Elba African American I use Black. I no longer just assume I know where someone is from. Granted, I do still use African American when that is what I am specifically referring to and I know it is correct. But that is rare, especially since most references to being Black in America are not, in fact, restricted to being African American in America, but literally to being Black in America. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/78 "2014-02-28T17:34:29Z")
I work at one of the most politically correct companies in the universe (seriously, we can’t put up crucifixes in our cubicles because that might make people “uncomfortable,” but if you want to put your prayer mat out and face east, that’s a- okay). Anywho, just this month we are celebrating “Black History Month.” So I’m going to say that it’s not generally considered offensive. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/79 "2014-02-28T18:01:19Z")
Sitting around drinking beer with my buddies (all in the 45 - 65 age range) “black” is the only word I hear used for race. Except one time a few weeks ago when a young black guy was giving the bartender a difficult time. After he left, one of my buddies said he “hates niggers like that”. There was a hush, then he realized what he’d said and apologized to the group. He’s black, which made it doubly awkward. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046/80 "2014-02-28T21:33:52Z")
If a black person said they found “negro” offensive, would everyone accept that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-using-black-instead-of-african-american-generally-considered-offensive/682046.md?page=5)