Evento

American Heritage Series: Who is African-American?

The American Heritage Series is an ongoing series of lectures and discussions that offer new perspectives on the role of African-Americans in American history. This installment will address African-American identity in the face of changing demographics. "Twice as many sub-Saharan Africans - about one million - have migrated to the United States in the last 30 years as during the entire era of the trans-Atlantic slave trade" (Black Migration, Both Slave and Free, By Felicia R. Lee, The New York Times, February 2, 2005). The shifting demographics of the black population in America have prompted the question, who is African-American?

The term African-American has been defined in many different ways. Some believe it includes black immigrants and others think it only identifies descendents of slaves brought to the United States. Its meaning has become more ambiguous in a nation of many diverse people of African decent. However, this issue is more than about a term, it's about an ongoing discourse on identity, labels, and the unspoken differences and similarities between people. Join the CD Forum and a panel of guests as we discuss the broader view of African-American identity.