Is Barak Obama an African-American?

It is clear that Barak Obama is African. But is he an African-American in the understood context? As much as I dislike hyphenated American designations, I have to admit that Senator Barak Obama is truly an African-American; at least in the denotative sense. He is half-Kenyan. Unfortunately, most African-American are such in the connotative sense. Their ancestry descends from a American slavery history...as property. Ironically, Senator Obama's "white" side also descends, at least collaterally, from an American slavery history...but on the ownership side.
I like Senator Obama. He is as charismatic as John Kennedy. But, as I watch the South Carolina Democratic debates, it disturbs me to see him trying to draw an affinity to the South Carolina black community. They really have nothing in common. I find it disingenuous. It would be better if he were Colin Powell. I think Powell, pre-Bush Administration, would have had more street cred.