The issue is not the color of your skin, per se. Nor exclusively slave history. If your father was born in Africa, you’ll be entering that on the Common App parent info. Otherwise, one sentence in Addl Ino can let them know the roots.
If you put down AA (you’re really mixed) and particular adcoms see it’s not the way they intend to use “African American,” they just won’t see you as URM.
Interesting that the Census now uses “Black racial groups.” The traditional was “…tracing their origins to sub-Saharan Africa.”
This is where an essay (or some supp answer) about your cultural experiences could help. Not to “make” you more URM, but to show the ties, influences, and affection for your mixed heritage. A lot of the search for “diversity” is the different perspectives kids offer.