African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or Black Americans, are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from any of the black racial groups of Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslaved Africans who are from the United States. While some Black immigrants or their children may also come to identify as African American, the majority of first-generation immigrants do not, preferring to identify with their nation of origin. African Americans constitute the third largest racial ethnic group in the U.S. after White Americans and Hispanic and Latino Americans. Most African Americans are descendants of enslaved people within the boundaries of the present United States. African American history began in the 16th century, with Africans from West and Central Africa being sold to European slave traders and transported across the Atlantic to the Western Hemisphere.

It is important to note that not all Black people are African American. The term "Black" refers to dark-skinned people of African descent, while "African American" refers to an ethnicity, specifically Americans with ancestry from one or more of the African continent’s Black racial groups. Black people may have light skin, or identify as Afro-Caribbean, Indigenous Australian, or Melanesian. The Black population of the United States is diverse, with members having varied histories in the nation – many are descendants of enslaved people, while others are recently arrived immigrants.