People and Human Groups
People
Do not use courtesy titles: Mr., Ms., Mrs., etc. Use the title Dr. only when referring to a medical doctor. In general, use only the last name in second references in external publications: John Doe, associate professor of political science, received the annual award on January 11. Doe was recognized for his many years of service to the field. If needed to distinguish between people with the same last name, as with siblings, use both the first and last names: The brothers Alec and Billy Baldwin are actors. Alec Baldwin is the older one. Names followed by Jr., Sr., Esq., or a Roman numeral should not have a comma after the last name: Martin Luther King Jr.; Mary J. Johns Esq.; James Hart III.
Human Groups
Capitalize names of racial, linguistic, tribal, religious, and other human groups: Caucasian, Indigenous Sino-Tibetan, Hausa, Hindu, Muslim, Native American, Black.
Updated June 22, 2020 according to changes in AP style rules.