First of all, the term "West Indian" would be regarded by some African Caribbeans as anachronistic, if not outright an insult, as they are proud of their African Heritage...
Also, it is true that many African Americans have Caribbean Black ancestry, as the first Africans to arrive in what became the colonies of the United States(Charles Town, later renamed Charleston, South Carolina), were from Barbados... It doesn't stop there, however, as many African Americans, such as Christopher "Notorious Big" Wallace, Afrika Bambaataa, KRS-1, Grandmaster Flash, Foxy Brown, Noreaga, and many, many more too numerous to mention, have African Caribbean ancestry...
Those with open minds about this, also, understand that the Caribbean(West Indies)is home to a great many Spanish and French Creole speakers, as well... Merlin Santana(R.I.P.)was an African Dominican, as Wyclef Jean is a Hatian American, like the N.Y. Jets All-Pro Defensive rookie of the Year, Jonathan Vilma...
This is why I say that African Americans must open their eyes to the fact that the person who used to be typically known as an African American(Black folks with roots in the rural or urban south, who peopled just about the entirety of North America with their migrations)is no longer a valid description of our people - really hasn't been for long time... By the Way African Americans, African Caribbean people(English/French/Spanish-speaking)have been involved in our struggles in this country since Day 1...
Don't ever make the mistake of saying they have not... Crispus Attucks, for example, was Barbadian, and so was Mr. Prince Hall... Denmark Vescey, again, was Jamaican, and so was John Russwurm, publisher of the first African American News Paper in the United States... Z. Alexander Luby was an Antiguan attorney who ran for and won a seat on the Nashville city council in the 1950's!!! This man saved the life of Thurgood Marshall who had gone down to represent a young brother and veteran, who had beaten down a white man for slapping his mother... On the way to his client's home, Marshall and Luby's car was pulled over by the Klansmen sherrifff's deputies, and Luby was told to drive off and leave Marshall with them... He did drive off, but he alerted some authorities, who rescued Marshall before he was lynched... Well, I could say a bunch more, but the fangas is tahred... James Moody you can come on in and blow now, we're through,....
Peace!
Isaiah