In Africa, they have different races - for example, Xhosa, San, Ndebele, Shona, Zulu, etc.  Each race has different traditions.  Each speak a different language, so just being black/brown does not really show how "African" one is.

There is also a vast difference between African Americans and Africans on the African continent.  African Americans are by and large, far better educated.  The media likes to blame colonialism, apartheid, etc., on the lag in education - but in fact, communism played a huge role in holding back the development of the African people.