African-American is, to me, a very good phrase to describe black Americans of African ancestry, including black Americans whose African ancestry predates the Civil War (descendants of slaves.) Rick Perry's hunting camp used the offensive N-word. But there is another N-word that is now out of vogue - Negro. The New Yotk Times reports on place, road and point names using the word:
The onetime name of Gov. Rick Perry’s Texas hunting camp is currently the most famous example of an egregious race-based place name, but it is not the only one.
Consider Runaway Negro Creek, which flows near a state park outside Savannah, Ga. The name is printed on nautical charts, but park rangers find it so uncomfortable to use, they try to avoid saying it.
It is one of several hundred places that have the word “Negro” in their names and still exist on government maps and in the local vernacular in dozens of states.
The article describes the process by which some of these names have been changed.
General query on the use of the word "Negro" -- is it ever appropriate anymore?