I am making no excuses for the fool on YT - he needs to read a da** book and look at a map or two.
Same topic though but different perspective . . .
I think the issue is that AAs went from slaves, to the N-word, to Negro, to Colored, to Black, to AA. A lot of people are confused as to what to call themselves. It is not so much that they are ashamed of or denying being "of color" it is just that they don't fit into the culturally implied label of Black - "an American who is a decedent of African slaves" (mine, not webster's).
While many Africans will now use the label AA, many would not use the label Black in the past. They were more likely to say "I'm Nigerian" vs. "I'm Black" Further, I have NEVER heard and Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian, Sudanese, Libyan, Guianan (sp), Mauritanian, or Ethiopian EVER call themselves AA or Black. I know there are more, but I only know people from these countries.
I have always taken pride in being Black because, despite its intent, it encompassed a diverse group of people with different backgrounds and cultures. However, I cringe at the term AA. There are centuries between me and my African ancestry, but only one generation between me and my Island ancestry and two between me and my NA ancestry. Also, I feel that term is more relevant to one of the people I mention above.
Additionally, I have always been Black. Telling me now I am something different is like telling me my name is Betty.
I realize that this is most likely a generational perspective since I am 40 . . . my sons are AAs with some serious AA pride because they have never been anything else. But if you ask them their ancestry, they can provide it and point to their ancestral countries on a map.
JMO