first time traveling to Europe.

Anywhere your heart desires. We stayed in the St, Germain area and could walk just about everywhere.
If you research on booking.com, you can add filters, such as price, then check hotels and reviews. When you have narrowed down your choices, come back to the forum and use the search feature to ask fellow travelers about specific hotels, or get Rick’s Paris guide and read his recommended hotels. When you finally make a decision, book directly with the hotel through their website.
Good Luck.

I would also highly recommend buying one of the Rick Steves Paris guides, as they provide a lot of information both for "best place to stay" as well as sightseeing, restaurants, etc. If you're only going to Paris, this would be a good choice - https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/pocket-paris .

I normally stay in the 7th, close to the Eiffel Tower as I like the area. However this summer won't be the best time to be there due to they Olympics.

Thank you both so much for the advice, preparing for this trip is nerve wracking and exciting.

Anyone stayed at hotel Novotel Bercy Center?

No one is going to care as far as I know if you're African American, so that shouldn't be an issue. Europe is full of people of all races, nationalities, ethnicities, and religions. However, you should try to book in a somewhat centrally-located area where you can walk to most sites that you want to visit.
Enjoy your stay.

thank you.

Bercy would not be my choice for a first trip. If you don't find something affordable in the Marais, Latin Quarter or St. Germain -- try the Montparnasse area

stay as close to the Seine, in the lowest ## arrondissements as your budget allows for, that's my rule of thumb.

Bercy is fine of you are going to the stadium or catching an early morning train from Gare de Lyon, both of which are fairly close. Otherwise, as said, it isn't in the bustling area and fair walk or bus or Métro to the interesting bits.

Even further out, I would give St Denis a wide berth - no matter your age, colour or sex. I always steer well wide, and then I'd also avoid the Banlieue, the very economically depressed outer suburbs.

Stay in the centre and nobody will notice you unless you want to be noticed. Paris is a city of very many cultures.

if you truly find the experience of planning nerve wracking, pay a travel agent to help you do it - or even do it for you

or take a prefab RS tour and don't worry about it

I'd suggest having a look at the RS Paris guidebook before choosing which area to stay and which hotel to use. The books usually provide good information on the pros & cons of the different Arrondisements. Your choice might depend on what sights you're planning to see.

I generally don't stay at "corporate chain hotels" like Novotel, as I prefer the smaller, local hotels listed in the RS guidebooks.

One other point to mention..... it would also be a good idea to do some study on the Paris Metro system, as that's the easiest way to get around the city. However there are some caveats to be aware of. Also, if you're planning on visiting any of the museums such as the Louvre, the Paris Museum Pass may be a good investment - https://www.parismuseumpass.fr/en .