Very interesting post, Anita--thank you.  

I looked the term up on Wikipedia, which is not exactly the
most reliable source.  Here is the relevant paragraph:

"Previously acceptable terms that are now viewed as archaic
(and, outside of historical contexts, even insulting) include
Negro and Colored; today, the most common term is probably
African American, with Black also commonly accepted since the
late 1960s; the term Afro-American was apparently first
prominently used in 1961 by a group of activists including
Maya Angelou and Leroi Jones (later known as Amiri Baraka)[4]
and became common from the late 1960s into the 1980s; it
remains generally acceptable, but less common, and has lately
been developing a "period" connotation. Blacks are also
included in the broader term "people of color"."

But is "Afro-American" quite the same as "African-American?" 
Probaby not.  

It would be interesting to look up the history of the word.  I
will check tomorrow, when I can look it up in the OED.  

All best,
Kevin
Kevin R. Hardwick, Ph.D.
Department of History
James Madison University

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