“Black excellence” is supposed to be a compliment – but using the phrase may actually be setting us back! How is that possible?
#1: Excellent Black People Aren’t Hard To Find
It simply isn’t true that excellent Black people are a rarity. White people created the false narrative that our people were inferior in the 18th century, to justify enslavement. Black excellence is the norm, not the exception!
#2: Black Excellence Creates Targets
White people have created systems that make it hard for us to excel, but once we do, we’re more closely scrutinized and expected to constantly produce. Studies show that in the workplace, Black employees are judged more harshly and receive fewer promotions.
#3: Burnout
Focusing on Black excellence can also make us more susceptible to burnout. To be perfect 100% of the time devalues us as human beings with flaws and emotional needs. This makes it more likely for us to experience depression, anxiety, and other serious health ailments.
Excellence is not a bad thing, but the pressure to CONSTANTLY achieve is detrimental to us. The real villain here is the racism behind the unrealistic expectations – not our desire to be excellent!