<p>Yes, you are African American. Just because you inherited your mother’s skin color as opposed to your father’s doesn’t change your ethnic inheritance. Many people considered “black” in this society have one completely white parent - I know Derek Jeter does, and I read that Halle Barry does too (not sure on that one though).
I have a friend who is 100 per cent Arabic (both parents born in the Middle East) and he does not look Arabic at all, but he IS! So since your family is from Africa, go for it.</p>