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Did Aliens Build the Pyramids?
Our unconscious way of denying Black excellence
If I had a $1 every time Black friends shared with me seeming compliments from white people that were actually deep-seated expressions of a backwards idea that Black people aren’t achievers, I’d be very rich.
“Wow. You’re so well spoken.”
“You’re not really Black.”
“You’re not like most Black people.”
“You must be so proud of yourself.”
“How did you become an engineer?”
“You’re so articulate.”
“You’re such a credit to your people.”
“How you became a lawyer is so inspiring.”
These aren’t hypotheticals. Real comments I’ve written down over the past year.
Yes, it’s true. Black people face obstacles on top of obstacles.
But the idea that it’s surprising when Black people are successful professionals or speak flawless English is something we’ve been conditioned to think in the deepest part of our psyche.
The notion that Black people aren’t achievers or equally capable of achieving is a lie we’ve been slowly and consistently fed for most of our lives.
