> Black people. "Blacks" sounds totally dehumanising.

As a black person, I'm grateful for this feedback. Thank you.

Glad to help. Perhaps this is an American thing then? It would raise eyebrows at least in the UK.

I live in the USA, and I've mainly heard "blacks" used by older people, or casually racist people who have had bad experiences with black people. For example, my father and grandfather both say it, and they're both working class white people who've had some bad experiences living and working in lower income areas just outside Baltimore. It's not the kind of thing someone would get fired over, but it's a pretty good indication of their mindset towards minorities.