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The perils of Black Excellence for Black women

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The perils of Black Excellence for Black women

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Content The Perils Of Black Excellence For Black Women
by
Dominique Brielle Fluker
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL
FOR COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM)
December 2023
Copyright 2023 Dominique Brielle Fluker

ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I’d like to thank my loving and visionary parents. Without your love, guidance,
and support, there would be no me. I am eternally grateful and hope to
continue to make you both proud.
Thanks to my thesis chairman, Oscar Garza, for the countless reads, edits,
suggestions, and support. I’d like to thank my co-chairs, Laura Castañeda and
Paula Mejia.
I could not have pursued nor completed my degree without the endless
support of my amazing mother and friends.
Lastly, thank you to the experts who lent their opinions and voices to this
thesis.

iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………………………………ii
Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… iv
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1
Chapter 1: Black Millennials And Black Excellence …………………………………………… 5
Chapter 2: The Concept Of Black Excellence …………………………………………………….11
Chapter 3: The Real-Life Magical Negros ………………………………………………………….15
Chapter 4: Black Women Should Rest ………………………………………………………………24
Chapter 5: Reimagining Black Excellence …………………………………………………………29
Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..31

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ABSTRACT
For years, Black excellence has circulated in the cultural and social media
zeitgeist as a term of endearment and something to aspire to instead of being
recognized for what it is, a pseudo-white euphemism designed to keep Black
people pegged to achieve constant productivity through unrealistic standards
and expectations at the expensive of community building, emotional health,
and mental freedom. Black excellence, unfortunately, is front-loaded with pride,
the promise of a euro-American dream, and stability.
This project will delve into Black Excellence from several standpoints: the
history of the concept as rooted in slavery; how the term perpetuates white
supremacy, as our worth and value are rooted in productivity and aspiring to
acclimate to traditionally white spaces; examples of perceived Black Excellence
in entertainment culture and the subsequent downfall of celebrities pursuing
that ideal; how Black people are co-opting the term for our benefit to ensure
that it's not tied to productivity and white metrics of success. Lastly, I'll explore
how Black people, including myself, can collectively find healing after pursuing
this stilted idea of Black Excellence.

1
INTRODUCTION
When I was 19 years old, during sophomore year in college, my dad sat on
the bed in my dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College and said to me,
unprompted, “You surpassed your mother and me.” Back then, I didn’t know
what that meant. Today, I have a better understanding. He meant that, at only
19, I had gone further than my parents could imagine for themselves. To my
father and others who had influence, I had achieved excellence.
Dictionary.com defines Black Excellence as “a high achievement, success,
or ability demonstrated by an individual Black person or cultural group.”
Decades after the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and the emergence of Black
power, “Black Excellence” became a popular hashtag on social media starting
in the 2000s. Sometimes the term is aspirational, referring to a goal to be
achieved or a mindset used to pursue success.
However, the ideal may sometimes highlight how those who embody
Black Excellence often grapple with unfair, unreasonably high expectations. It's
especially true of people who are "the only ones in the room" in corporate
professional spaces and often treated as representing the entire Black
community. These impossible standards force an unnecessary search for
perfectionism, as well as pressure upon high achievers, which can lead to
deteriorating mental health and well-being. Despite the pitfalls of the Black
Excellence concept, the term is used favorably when it comes to the
achievements and success of Black people,

2
especially when it’s used as a hashtag along with other positivity-focused terms
such as “Black joy” and “Black Girl Magic.”
For decades, Black Excellence has circulated in the cultural zeitgeist as an
aspiration for an entire race, instead of being recognized for what it is: a
pseudo-white euphemism designed to pressure Black people to achieve
constant productivity through unrealistic standards and expectations at the
expense of community building, emotional health, and mental freedom.
Black Excellence can be considered symbolic, deployed to represent a
certain level of achievement within our community. Being the first in your
family to attend college and graduate, buying your first house, marrying “well,”
having enough savings to live comfortably, and chasing your dreams can all be
markers of Black Excellence.
Some Black people think of the term as empowering. “I think that Black
Excellence is a great term to hold yourself to,” says culture writer Evan Nicole
Brown. “I think it is a good goal to want to reach in terms of considering yourself
excellent. If we parse it down to the actual word, I think it's like empowering,
and it's a good thing to want to aspire to be better or earn more or achieve
more.”
Brown continued: “I think for a long time, black people in this country
have been taught, but also have reinforced within our communities to each
otherandourselves,thatthere'ssomeshameinthispractice.BlackExcellence

3
is a term that overturns that instinct. And it's useful to learn how to take pride in
the success and excellence that you've met.”
I believe Black Excellence, unfortunately, is front-loaded with pride, and
the false promise of The American Dream and stability. In my experience, it’s
often a one-way ticket to burnout, with limited rewards outside of potential
financial success.
Looking closely, Black Excellence is commonly promoted and lauded in
every aspect of culture. From arts and entertainment to corporate America, the
expectation not only exists for Black people, but it’s also desired and prioritized
especially for Black women. Many Black women, including myself, have been
programmed — by our parents, society, or both — that achieving excellence is
the only way to a better life, that we must work ten times harder, show up, and
show out at our jobs and within our community to make our futures brighter.
But what if you do all of that and still aren’t considered “excellent” by your peers
in the Black community or by hiring managers, or still don’t have any financial
stability? Then what?
Many millennials are spotting the flaws within this concept, choosing to
divest from it altogether. But with Black Excellence now insidiously interwoven
through our culture’s DNA, how can we break from it? The first step is

4
awareness, and the second is analyzing why the notion has been deemed vital
to our culture and where this concept stems from.

5
CHAPTER 1: Black Millennials And Black Excellence
Black millennials have our unique subset of societal issues, from
experiencing job insecurity and earning less than Generation X, to the “Black
Tax” — the expectation that first-in-the-family college graduates and
professionals who “make it” will help their family members. We are also
pressured to pay off student loan debt and are forced to rent apartments
because we can’t afford to buy a home, as our parents did, and we face
persistent economic downturns, in addition to rising cost of living, inflation, and
stagnant wages, which makes younger generations of Black people less
well-equipped to tackle difficult financial headwinds such asrecessions.
In some households, we’re the first in our family to achieve The American
Dream by earning college degrees and becoming well-respected, socially and
professionally. For most Black millennials, reputation, status, and financial
security mean everything and can be a conduit for intergenerational success
and wealth. Black millennial women are also doing things differently than our
mothers and aunties. Instead of opting for soul-sucking, unfulfilling 9-to-5
roles, we’ve decided to chase our dreams. In 2020, Fast Company reported
that women of color were starting businesses more often than any other
group, sharing that “women of color account for 89% (1,625) of the new
businesses opened daily over the past year.” The growth has slowed
somewhat, but women of color continue to seek their own way.

6
I still consider myself an underdog, even though some people say I am
highly accomplished for being just 31 years old. When I turned 25, I gave myself
professional benchmarks to hit each year to be “prepared” for 30. Seeking to get
my Master’s degree in journalism wasn’t in the cards for me initially, but here we
are.
I didn’t come from money. I grew up as an only child in East Oakland, but
my parents worked hard to even be considered lower middle class. I have been
under immense pressure since I was about five years old. My life was planned
meticulously, from ballet classes to gymnastics to Catholic school, student
government, and leadership positions. That’s because my parents had a plan for
me, a vision. They wanted their daughter to be more successful than them and
do all the things they couldn’t. That was their definition of Black Excellence.
Fast forward to 31, and now I’m considered a poster child for Black
Excellence by my peers and people well-respected in several professional
industries. My parents taught me the value of hard work, sacrifice, grit, and,
indirectly, respectability politics. Although I grew up in the ‘hood, my parents
intentionally sheltered me from its worst pitfalls. As an only child, I would spend
hours in my room, reading and writing. I was not allowed to go outside
unsupervised, and my afterschool time was consumed by sports or dance. For
an inner-city kid, I did experience a semblance of privilege, with access to
options uncommon in our neighborhood.

7
The author and scholar W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) is known for his
controversial “Talented Tenth” theory. Before Du Bois popularized the concept,
Henry Lyman Morehouse (the white namesake of the historically Black
Morehouse College) defined the term as: “In the discussion concerning Negro
education, we should not forget the talented tenth man. An ordinary education
may answer for the nine men of mediocrity, but if this is all we offer the talented
tenth man, we make a prodigious mistake. The tenth man, with superior natural
endowments, symmetrically trained and highly developed, may become a
mightier influence, a greater inspiration to others than all the other nine, or nine
times like them.”
Du Bois argued that a select few in our culture could achieve excellence
and should strive for that status: “The Negro race, like all races, is going to be
saved by its exceptional men. The problem of education, then, among Negroes
must first deal with the Talented Tenth; it is the problem of developing the Best
of this race that they may guide the Mass away from the contamination and
death of the Worst, in their own and other races.”
DuBois’theory setthe groundwork for the eventual development ofthe
term “Black Excellence.” The conceptis the result of a selected few achieving
particular heights that many of their family members or people in their
neighborhood aren’t able to.

8
It may seem as though I’m speaking from a place of privilege. Many
people haven’t had the opportunity, access, space, and resources to achieve
their dreams. Still, I find myself in a different predicament, not knowing
what’s next for my life and never being satisfied with my success and
progress. While achieving Black Excellence is alluring due to its perceived
status and power, the realities can be bleak. Pursuing it has left me in a
perpetual loop, a hamster wheel of seeking validation, iterating my brand
narrative, and becoming self-deprecating. This quest for success has left
me burned out, unfulfilled and lonely, as I’ve put my career first in many
situations. Now I’m left with the question: Is it worth it? Because I still feel
like I am so far behind compared to my peers and counterparts.
While Black Excellence can propel you forward, it can also hinder the
personal process and erode self-esteem, ultimately leaving you unsatisfied and
depleted. Despite several notable accomplishments, I constantly ask myself,
What’s next? How can I outdo myself this year?
Black Excellence will have you believe that success is never enough. It has
sucked me into a vacuum of pursuing exceptionalism, causing me to focus
solely on money and power. But what happens when you achieve those things
and are still empty? I understand my parents’ vision for me to achieve an
experience that they couldn’t. Still, I wish they had allowed space for me to just

9
be myself without attaching an expectation to constantly reach some level of
accomplishment.
But perhaps they aren’t to blame. Although they planted the seeds of
excellence since birth, I am the one who decided to act on it intensely. The
turning point was when my father was killed while I was studying at Spelman
College for the spring semester of my junior year. A self-taught civic engineer
and former newspaper photographer, my dad was struck by a stray bullet while
driving home. The beacon of excellence as I knew it was gone, and I felt like I
had to carve out my lane, identity, and legacy to make up for that horrible act.
His fatal shooting was national news.
My little immediate family suffered in different ways. My dad was gone. I
struggled with my mental health and experienced helplessness, but worked it
away. My mother, however, suffered the biggest downfall. After taking over my
father’s estate and keep me in college, she suffered a psychotic break. My
mother, the pillar of decorum, grace, kindness and intelligence, could not
function as she used to. Instead, I had to take care of her. I was lost in my early
20s, as I couldn’t see a way out from the pain aside from working to regain some
normalcy. I thought the way to do that was to earn status, respect and money to
gain stability and dignity.

My family's tragedy intensified my pursuit of Black Excellence. Instead of
the Fluker name being attached to a tragic ‘hood tale, I wanted our name to
signify excellence and greatness. I worked for seven years to ensure that
happened.
My parents’ situation also showed me that you could do everything right
as a Black individual, striving for success, and still have an unfortunate outcome.
So, is this pursuit of Black Excellence through achievement worth it?
10

CHAPTER 2: The Concept Of Black Excellence
According to cultural critic Taylor Crumpton, Black Excellence is a term
used to describe and quantify a certain aspiration of Blackness. As she told me:
“Blackness is not a monolith; however, the excellence that has been taught that
has been shown in media, that has been made this emblem of which we [Black
Americans] should aspire to, is rooted in respectability politics, which we all
know is inherently the reflection of an upper middle class, the white
heteronormative standard of culture.”
You can’t understand the concept of Black Excellence without first
acknowledging Black respectability politics, the notions of double
consciousness, black elitism, Talented Tenth, and impression management,
11

12
which are actions we take to influence others in how to perceive us. Mikaela
Pitcan, co-author of “Performing a Vanilla Self: Respectability Politics, Social
Class, and the Digital World,” describes “respectability politics” as a collective of
behaviors and attitudes that produce a counter-narrative to negative
stereotypes placed on marginalized groups.
While civil rights activists and feminists criticize respectability politics as
reactionary, subordinated groups frequently use these tactics to gain upward
mobility. In the words of Paisley Harris, author of “Gatekeeping and Remaking:
The Politics of Respectability,” the practice mainly has two audiences: “African
Americans, who were encouraged to be respectable, and White people, who
needed to be shown that African Americans could be respectable.”
Respectability also harnesses class status and privilege messaging,
demonstrated through dress, organizational affiliation, education and behavior,
designed and modeled after the White middle class, which was cultivated in the
early 20th Century. Many Black people adopted this way of thinking and acting,
hoping to receive economic stability, better social status, and social upliftment.
In 1898, W.E.B Du Bois coined his “Talented Tenth” term in The Study Of Negro
Problems. Du Bois believed that higher education, not solely industrial training,
would help develop and expand the leadership and status of African Americans.

13
However, the scholar noted that only 10 percent of Black Americans could carry
out his vision for the race in the post-Reconstruction era.
Du Bois argued that with this opportunity comes sacrifice, suggesting
those in the “Talented Tenth” should forgo their interests for the greater good of
the African-American community. Although I’m sure it was well-meaning,
especially back then, this concept is presently dangerous for African Americans,
as it limits our abilities as a community and sets up unneeded pressure to
perform and work our way into the middle class, which traditionally has access
to top-tier education and resources. While Du Bois believed that our race would
be saved and uplifted through exceptionalism, what if we all can’t reach that
goal? What happens, then? Also, who defines and quantifies exceptionalism?
Understanding the concept of "double consciousness" is key to unpacking
the complexities of exceptionalism here. Du Bois also introduced this term in
1903 in his book, The Souls of Black Folk: “It is a peculiar sensation, this
double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the
eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in
amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness — an American, a
Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in
one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.”

14
This concept set up Black people to be seen as striving to be accepted in
mainstream society while pushing down their Blackness and disowning their
natural, cultural customs. This ultimately began to move Blacks toward White
Americans' materialistic, capitalistic and commercial world, eventually causing
them to police their impressions of themselves and contort their mannerisms to
be palatable and digestible for the white gaze.
Black Excellence is an extension of Black respectability politics. Still, it’s a
bit more insidious because the concept prides itself on accomplishments,
rewarding optics, and a never-ending cycle of impression management, hoping
it’ll pay off; I’ve found it rarely does in the long run.

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CHAPTER 3: The Real-Life Magical Negroes
Black Excellence shows up in many different forms, including in acts of
performance. But it’s often bestowed upon Black people by white people.
In traditional American cinema, Black Excellence is sometimes
represented by the “magical negro,” a character used to aid white protagonists.
These Black characters were generally created to make their white counterparts
in the film (and in the audience) feel comfortable. These characters are often
docile, subservient, palatable, and seemingly aloof to any wrongdoings or
shortcomings of their white protagonists, ultimately helping them reach their

16
goal in the story. Movie buffs and historians have argued that “magical negroes”
were planted in early films such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin and more recent movies
including Driving Miss Daisy, Ghost, and Forrest Gump, to name a few, by white
creators to portray the version of Black people they deem ideal and to
demonstrate “magical” healing powers extracted through kindness and good
deeds, positively benefiting their white counterparts.
Hanif Abdurraqib’s book of essays, A Little Devil In America, shines a light
on magical negroes in show business in the 20th and 21st centuries, such as
Dave Chappelle and Will Smith: “This goes out to all magical negroes who
helped their wayward white pals find love in the vicious underbellies of romantic
comedies. To Dave Chappelle, who helped Tom Hanks catfish Meg Ryan
through capitalism and America Online. To Will Smith in Hitch, who did the very
common service of teaching his white friend to dance so that he might score a
date with a model. Shoutout to the magical negroes who were also God or who
could have been God-like.”
He continued: “If there is some kind of loophole in the rules of magic, it
might be this: the one where a person can be invisible until they are desired,
where they are an echo of nonexistence until they can fulfill a need, or tell a
story, or be a thread in the fabric of someone else’s grand design. The flawed
magic of desiring a body more than an actual person. The magical negro is so
replaceable that there is nothing left of them to mourn.”

17
As Black men, these entertainers arguably have pulled off the most
challenging magic tricks in show business. For Chappelle, it was disappearing to
South Africa at the height of his TV show success, later returning to the United
States more popular, respected and successful than he was before.
However,Abdurraqib argues thatChappelle was popular amongst white
peopleforproducingwhattheyconsideredhilariousracialsketches.Thislanded
the comedian in an abyss and without a logical escape in sight, so he decided to
decamp more than 10,000 miles to Africa:
“A long and loudly echoing purgatory with no exit. Chappelle’s Show had
a brief but singularly brilliant twenty-eight-episode run between January 2003
and July 2006, though that final July season was partial — only three episodes
aired, after countless delays and the news that Chappelle was stepping away
from the show and the tens of millions of dollars Comedy Central was offering
him to continue it. There was always a sense for some that the white people
who found themselves so enamored with the show didn’t exactly know which
parts of it were carrying them to the furthest limits of their laughter.”
Abdurraqib states that much of the show’s energy was driven by
Chappelle’s mindset at the time, which was leveraging sketches onscreen as a
mirror reflecting white society’s deepest secrets and thoughts about Black
people onto them for unashamed laughs, without the fear of being judged,
toeing the fine line of absurdity, comfortability and introspection. Although

18
beloved by many cultures, including Black audiences, white viewers started
believing they were in on the jokes in Chappelle’s Show.
“When white people talk about a desire to mimic — to say ‘nigga’ with no
repercussions — it is, of course, about power. But it is also about access. About
the thrill of getting away with something.” — Abdurraqib
This makes me wonder whether Chappelle was intentionally pandering to
the white audience for ratings. Or did the comedian think he was being
disruptive in a good way by pulling the wool over the white audience’s eyes and
exposing their desire for sketches that mocked the pain and discomfort of Black
people? Did Chappelle get tricked himself?
In a 2021 essay for GQ, poet Saeed Jones analyzed the early days of the
Comedy Central show to explain Chappelle’s evolution. A previously fervent
longtime fan of the comedian, Jones felt betrayed by his Netflix special, “The
Closer,” in which Chappelle fixated on other marginalized and cultural groups,
including gay and trans people.
“You ever hear the one about the famous Black comedian who
disappeared when he realized the white people watching him were laughing a
little too hard and likely for the wrong reasons?” Jones wrote. “Deal with white
people long enough, especially the ones who’ve enjoyed enough episodes of
The Wire and Wu-Tang albums to believe they’re in on the joke, and you can
easily understand why Dave Chappelle walked away from $50 million rather

19
than tape a third season of Chappelle’s Show for Comedy Central. He was
fighting for his life.”
Abdurraqib agreed with Jones’ sentiments: “When white people talk
about a desire to mimic — to say ‘nigga’ with no repercussions — it is, of course,
about power. But it is also about access. About the thrill of getting away with
something.”
Jones argues that within Chappelle’s Netflix special, the comedian comes
off as God-like, above any reproach or correcting, proclaiming his
rightfully-earned status and freedom with this line at the top of this show: “First
of all, before I start, I wanna say I’m rich and famous.” Throughout the special, he
makes sweeping generalizations about queer communities with vitriol dripping
from his lips, disguised as playful jokes but rooted in his opinions. However, this
turn of events isn’t a surprise for most Black women and queer-identifying
individuals, as cisgender heteronormative men tend to abandon our
community once they get a taste of money, power, respect and status — and,
crucially, are acclaimed by white executives and peers. They start pandering and
performing to a white gaze of excellence, ultimately ostracizing the same group
of people they vowed to uplift and support through their art. I mean, look at
Kanye West.
But did Chappelle harbor these views of our community all along? His
sketches of Black people, culture and life were always a little too on the nose for

20
my taste, and he seemed too comfortable saying the N-word in mixed company.
Was he making fun of us to gain white approval instead of creating the show as
a revolutionary act? His performance may not have fallen on either side of the
spectrum; he may have been neutral — knowing that the audience desired his
jokes, voice and performance more than his personhood. Perhaps Chappelle is
still considered a “magical negro” by white audiences, though he isn’t as
valuable to some Black audiences because of his TV show’s controversial jokes.
Reflecting on Chappelle’s trajectory in show business made me wonder
about Black women entertainers who could potentially fall into a similar trap in
masquerading as “magical negroes.” Black women in show business ultimately
become performative aswell.
“Yes, it does feel like an era of performativity,” cultural critic Taylor
Crumpton told me about some Black women in present-day entertainment.
“The first woman that came to mind when thinking about it was Tiffany
Haddish.” Crumpton notes how Haddish defended actor Jonathan Majors when
he was accused of domestic abuse. “Also, I saw recently how she had tarnished
[fashion designer] Law Roach’s reputation with a couple of brands.
“But she's still in community with folks like [talk show host] Jason Lee,”
Crumpton added, “who gives her a platform, elevates her, and commends her
on her marvelous success in Hollywood as a Black comedian. I think that is the
danger of Black Excellence because once a Black actor or actress or person

21
reaches a certain level of financial wealth — box office movies, songs, comedy
tours X, Y, and Z, whatever placeholder — there is almost this internalization of
them. After all, they reached this wealth, status and money.”
Another cultural critic, Evan Nicole Brown, brought up rising actress
Zendaya as another example. “The reason I say that is because she's biracial,”
Brown told me. “I believe that any partially white major celebrity and fashion
plate has that ease with whiteness, right? For instance, I think they're much
more, quote-unquote, acceptable on the grand stage than a darker-skinned
black woman would be. She's extremely talented, but I think she aesthetically
fits the mold of a highly marketable, beautiful, thin, tall, Black woman. Her
talent is evident, but how she shows up on carpets has helped propel her
career.”
Brown believes that Zendaya “doesn't pander to a white audience, but I
don't think she panders to a black audience either.” In other words, she's
magical by virtue of her in-between-ness of two cultures.
Are “magical negroes” bad? No, and yes. For “magical negroes” in
mainstream American culture, especially in the entertainment industries, their
presence can be pliable. They don't always have to be pandering to a white
audience. Instead, they can distance themselves from black audiences, creating
neutrality.

22
The relationship between “magical negroes” and those who pride
themselves on being excellent and Black is they both are considered the chosen
few in mainstream society.

23
CHAPTER 4: Black Women Should Rest
Pursuing “Black Excellence” may be hindering the emotional well-being
of Black women, myself included. I’ve always been an ambitious person, but
sometimes my accomplishments feel like they aren’t enough. As I delve deeper
into my career, I strive to reach the next pinnacle without fully reflecting on
everything I’ve done. I’ve spoken to my therapist about this behavior, and she
suggested that I write out my achievements for each quarter so I can see them
on paper to know they’re real.
Although I’ve taken her advice, I often find myself still anxiously thinking
about what my next achievement might be. Instead of looking forward to the
next career milestone, I wish I could be more present without the insatiable
thirst for more. My self-awareness and practice of self-reflection have allowed
me to analyze what’s behind this behavior and, in short, I think it’s due to
experiencing a mixture of perfectionism and imposter syndrome and being
raised by my parents to succeed at all costs.

Jenet Dove, a licensed counselor, specializes in supporting
over-functioning Black women perfectionists dealing with burnout and
depression. After careful observation, she believes Black women who vigorously
pursue their goals tend not to prioritize self-reflection, rest, celebration and
reassessment. This drives them to strive for the next accomplishment, often
neglecting opportunities to appreciate even the slightest success.
But how did we, as Black women, get here? Through unrealistic societal
expectations and the harmful “Strong Black Woman” trope, according to Dove.
Black women often bear the burdens of these expectations and historical
adversities shaping their experiences. These expectations are deeply ingrained
in the “Strong Black Woman” archetype, which demands unwavering strength,
resilience and relentless pursuit of success to overcome systemic barriers (which
I can relate to as a two-time first-generation college graduate and caretaker).
While this archetype may initially empower many Black women, Dove
believes it can have long-lasting detrimental effects, such as positionin g
Black women as invulnerable, unyielding, and constantly self-sacrificing.
“These depictions impose unrealistic standards on Black women, stripping
away their humanity and perpetuating the belief that they should endure all
hardships without displaying vulnerability or seeking support,” Dove told me.
“As a result, many Black women may suppress their emotions, leading to
mental health
24

25
challenges such as high-functioning depression that often go unnoticed due to
their outward appearance of competence.”
Esther Boykin, a psychotherapist, agrees. She believes that many Black
women find themselves pushing from one accomplishment to the next with no
pause due to being characterized as the “superwoman” and a strong nurturer.
“This narrow view of our worth often lends to an internalized idea of ourselves
needing to stay focused on others while simultaneously setting an impossible
standard,” she told me.. “When our primary focus is on how others are doing, it
can feel uncomfortable or selfish to pause to reflect on what we have
accomplished. I often see this in my clients who will get a big promotion, finish
an incredible project, or reach some other incredible milestone, but gloss over it
to celebrate others in their lives or focus on parents, partners and children who
need more. There is a mindset that [says], I can’t be good until everyone else is
good, which blocks many women’s ability to savor the sweetness of success for
themselves.”
Another barrier Boykin sees among clients is the unconscious beliefthat
they don’t deserve rest or recognition: “The strong woman trope, while often
meant as a compliment, convinces many of us that we are meant to be
superhuman in our efforts and achievements.

26
“When the standards are so unrealistically high, we rarely feel deserving of
accolades or even rest between the incredible things we accomplish. What
often looks like tenacity and a strong work ethic can be insecurity and fear. The
social messaging combined with overt and subtler forms of racism and sexism
that Black women face at work is a breeding ground for imposter syndrome.
And when we are questioning our success, the idea of pausing to celebrate is
impossible.”
And not acknowledging success can impact your mental health in several
ways; according to Alelia Watson, a licensed professional counselor. “Firstly, it
can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem, as you may not
recognize your accomplishments, and instead focus on what you have yet to
achieve,” she told you. “This can also increase anxiety and stress, as you may feel
like you are not progressing. Secondly, not acknowledging your progress can
cause you to become unmotivated and lose sight of your purpose, which can
further exacerbate feelings of depression and hopelessness.”
So how can Black women shift to prioritizing balance, fulfillment and
joy? According to Boykin, slowing down to acknowledge our accomplishments
and giving ourselves the rest needed to continue moving forward is critical to
our emotional well-being. “High-functioning depression and anxiety are often
masked by jumping from one goal to another without pause,” she said. “The

27
pause allows women to receive the care and recognition they deserve and
createsaspacetoassess their feelings.Areyouenjoyingthe workittakes to
achieve these moments? Is the next goal one you wantto pursue? When we
are disconnected from ourselves, it can create a sense of frustration and
overwhelm that isn’t easy to describe.”
Boykin continued: “Women should shift their approach and learn to stay
in the moment before pushing forward to the next goal and building a
community focused on celebrating them. This can be a group chat with a few
friends, a monthly brunch with colleagues, or a formal group designed for
support.Changing ingrained patterns isn’t easy, so having a group of women
who understand your experience and will remind you to slow down is especially
important.”
Myisha Jackson, a licensed professional counselor and founder of the
Healing Journey Counseling Center in Monroe, Louisiana, suggests
incorporating robust self-care practices beyond superficial aesthetics often
depicted on social media, such as shopping sprees or visits to spas. “Devoting
time to celebrate ourselves and our accomplishments is an essential elementof
self-care,” she told me. It allows us to genuinely appreciate our progress and
honor the efforts we have invested in reaching our goals. It’s important to
acknowledge that success encompasses more than external achievements; it

28
also includes personal growth, resilience, and overall well-being. Being present
now holds immense significance for our mental and emotional well-being. By
fully immersing ourselves in the unfolding of life rather than incessantly chasing
future aspirations, we cultivate gratitude and find joy in the small moments that
constitute our journey.”
Incorporating strategies that promote balance and fulfillment is essential,
according to counselor Dove: “Black women can cultivate a lifestyle that honors
their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This can include establishing
boundaries to protect their time and energy, engaging in activities that bring
them joy and rejuvenation, and fostering meaningful connections with loved
ones. Practicing mindfulness, regular self-reflection and seeking professional
support, such as therapy, can contribute significantly to their overall well-being.”

29
CHAPTER 5: Reimagining Black Excellence
Can Black Excellence be good for our community, or is it dangerous? I
do believe it’s perilous if you’re sacrificing your mental health and wellbeing to achieve hollow status and prestige. However, striving for personal
greatness shouldn’t be criticized. The term Black Excellence looks and
feels different for everyone in our community and can be personalized.
Niema Jordan, a fellow journalist from East Oakland, produced the widely
acclaimed documentary, Bree Wayy: Promise Witness Remembrance. She
believes the concept of Black Excellence is severely dated and shouldn’t be
relevant anymore. “I think that there are things to focus on other than Black
Excellence,” she told me. “I don't know if it's reimagining black excellence
as much as abandoning the term altogether.”
Instead of focusing on achievement, she believes we should prioritize Black
health, wellness and peace: “I think of Tricia Hersey and the Nap Ministry as
examples of rest, as resistance. Yes, you can still get your degrees, and you
can be wealthy and stunt for Instagram if that's what you feel like doing,
but those things are not indicative of a truly fulfilling and meaningful life as a
Black person. A focus on wellness and liberation and freedom and rest over
excellence, as narrowly defined by capitalism, should be the goal.”

30
Jordan continued: “But I also know that for some Black people, the term is
encouraging, but I’m asking, How do we go deeper than some of these
performative spaces that drain us, and make us feel like we must constantly
do, show, and prove that we are worthy of these things that we historically
have not had access to?”
Black Excellence is harmful to Black women because not only is it
exclusionary, the term also doesn’t let us rest in our humanness. We deserve to
exist in a world where our purpose of being isn’t defined by how much we can
achieve or help our culture move forward.
We aren’t superwomen.

31
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Du Bois, W. E. B. (2000). The souls of Black folk. Chicago, IL: Lushena Books.
(Original work published 1903.)
Harris,F.C. (2014).Theriseof respectabilitypolitics.Dissent,61(1),33–37.
Harris, P. J. (2003). Gatekeeping and remaking: The politics of respectability in
African-American women’s history and Black feminism. Journal of Women’s
History, 15(1),212–220.
Abdurraqib, Hanif (2021). A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black
Performance
Crumpton, Taylor. Interview by Dominique B. Fluker, April 2023.
Brown, Evan Nicole. Interview by Dominique B. Fluker, April 2023.
Jordan, Niema. Interview by Dominique B. Fluker, April 2023.
Jackson, Myisha. Email correspondence with Dominique B. Fluker, June 2023.
Boykin Esther. Email correspondence with Dominique B. Fluker, June 2023.
Watson, Alelia. Email correspondence with Dominique B. Fluker, June 2023.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Fluker, Dominique B. (author)

Core Title The perils of Black Excellence for Black women

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Journalism (Specialized Journalism)

Degree Conferral Date 2023-12

Publication Date 12/14/2023

Defense Date 12/13/2023

Publisher Los Angeles, California (original), University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Black Excellence,Black women,OAI-PMH Harvest

Format theses (aat)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Garza, Oscar (committee chair), Castañeda, Laura (committee member), Mejia, Paula (committee member)

Creator Email dominique.brielle.fluker@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC113797216

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Format theses (aat)

Rights Fluker, Dominique B.

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