BLACK EXCELLENCE at graduation 😊✨

The past week was the beginning of graduation season at UCT. And WOW!!!!! People are doing the dzang things. Even saw a few PHD black graduates. The black excellence was err where. Yeah, I said it. The BLACK excellence was evident...BLACK EXCELLENCE ✨✨

These 2 words stir mixed feelings amongst all demographics. Why though? Well wypipo argue that if they were to caption their graduation pictures “white excellence”, they’d be marked as racist.  First of all, let us be great for once. But, considering you’re not the first in your family to get a degree, you never tasted financial exclusion and are taught and tested in your home language, can we really call this excellence on your part or was it just one of the many things placed on the silver spoon? I’m not belittling anyone’s accomplishments, however we need to realize that anytime you’re coming from a point of privilege don’t try and rain on someone else’s parade. I’ve been seeing comments like, “black parents make too much noise when their child is called up” and “it’s not even THAT big of a deal”. What do you mean? These may have been 2 absolute coincidences but on my way to upper campus to capture some grad moments (check IG:@naturallywoke) I saw 2 wypipo one who had just graduated and left the ceremony early with his certificate in hand. But wait, he was wearing khaki shorts and a golfer under the gown 😱😱 and another girl in the library studying before her graduation at 5. See what I mean about graduation being a given for certain demographics? Still an achievement nonetheless though.

Now let’s define black excellence. Well according to the urban dictionary (great source 😉😂), it’s when a black body portrays great qualities and achieve things that make the black community proud. For me personally black excellence is just owning that as black people we are now occupying spaces that our parents and grand parents only dreamed of, that against all odds we were able to achieve greatness. That despite things hardly ever working in our favor, because you know systematic racism, we made it. 

But then comes the counter argument that many black bodies possess and feel strongly about. Who’s standard of excellence is it? They argue that the title puts unnecessary pressure on people to prove something to the world and that these standards are still very “Eurocentric”. Although I could understand why one could think this way, I personally don’t see a problem with celebrating excellence in the black community. Yes there’s room for improvement as in we could celebrate the more artistic degrees obtained, the innovative products designed by black people, basically just the “unconventional” (for lack of a better word) things. But all in all, the BLACK EXCELLENCE I’ve seen this past week had me very proud and excited to see a glimpse of our future. 

What do you guys think about black excellence? Leave a comment and share with your friends. 

Stay Woke!