African American

No hyphen. Acceptable for Black people who live in the U.S., though the terms “Black” and “African American” are not always interchangeable. (Black Americans of Caribbean heritage often refer to themselves as Caribbean American, for instance.) When possible, ask someone how they would like to be identified, and be specific when relevant. The keynote speaker is Senegalese American. Many Somali Americans live in Minnesota.

The Episcopal Church Office of African Descent Ministries prefers the terminology “people/person of African descent” to refer to all those born on the continent of Africa and of the African diaspora.