Exploring How the Terms “Black” and “African American” May Shape Health Communication Research

Abstract

Several distinct terms are used to identify descendants of the African diaspora (DADs) as fellow members of a racialized population. However, “Black” and “African American” are the two labels most commonly used. Given the recent calls for examining institutionalized racism in the United States, health scholars must contemplate the problems that may arise when these two terms are used interchangeably, namely the extent to which mislabeling may reify already significant health disparities. This essay examines the histories and meanings of “Black” and “African American” as identity labels and explores their importance in relationship to the effective recruitment of DADs to health research and clinical trials. In this paper, we employ the communication theory of identity and critical race theory as lenses to call attention to the discursive challenges associated with recruitment of DADs in health research. We also encourage health communication scholars to explore and extend the scope of this research. We do this by first describing the unintended consequences in health research through disregard of DADs’ chosen identity labels. We then use the various terms to describe DADs to illuminate existing tensions between “Black” and “African American.” We describe how each moniker is used and perceived, broadly and in health contexts. Finally, we call for more research into the effects of mislabeling and propose a plan for researchers’ next steps.