system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Style guide for "black" versus "African-American"

Is there a clear rule on how these terms should be used?  If I'm writing about American society, can I use them interchangeably?  Capitalization rules?
gpt
I don't know about style guides but they aren't interchangeable. Black is for Black people no matter where they are from, you could also say Black Americans or Black Canadians ect. But African American really would only be for people who are both African and American, meaning that they actually come from Africa and live in the states or perhaps vice versa. But many Black people do not consider themselves African as they have no ties to there, and many Black Americans come from places like the Carribean or South America. 

The term African American is actually by many Black people seen as incorrect and offensive.