REBOOT: The Idea of Black Exceptionalism is Harmful

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

This month's reboot is another from the podcast archives. As usual, I've added a couple of updates and new links. Check it out:

Today I want to talk about the idea of exceptionalism.

When I was living in France, my roommate at the time, who was a white girl from the Midwest, said, "You're not like the other Black people I know back home."

It took me quite a while to unpack what she meant. I was young, and had not had very much experience at the time of this particular type of microaggression. But I later came to understand that what she meant was that I spoke articulately in multiple languages, I was well educated, well read, and had more than a passing knowledge of global current affairs.

She'd been trained by the stereotypes she'd seen and bought into back in the US to expect the opposite of Black people. And as a result, she didn't know quite where to place me. That really bothered her and, in fact, led to her saying, on another occasion, "I think of you as white."

I'm not even going to unpack what was behind that. But suffice it to say that it took me quite a long time to come to terms with it in my own head. [2026 update: It's taken me decades to unpack it, and I wrote about this incident in more detail recently.]

But one of the flip sides of buying into those stereotypes is the idea that Black people who succeed are both exceptional, and proof that anyone can do it. So the idea with that second one is: why are we still complaining about systemic racism?

But both of those ideas are harmful. Exceptionalism suggests that Black excellence is not and can never be the norm. It's a harmful stereotype that hurts our community and leads to untold microaggressions in the workplace. Like being surprised when your Black colleague has a superlative professional qualification, or a master's degree. And this is something that has happened to people that I know. [2026 update: seriously, surprise at Black excellence or achievement, no matter how positively it appears to be framed, is another of those paper cuts of racism.]

The idea that anyone can succeed, and that "race" is not a barrier, ignores the real obstacles that people have to deal with and surmount in white majority spaces. And in many cases, they have to do this without having anything to fall back on, like family money, for example. [2026 update: remember "race" is a harmful fiction and racialisation is something that affects all of us.]

So, I want to leave you with the idea that Black excellence itself is not exceptional. What is exceptional is the success in overcoming barriers. And it's something that we have to do, because otherwise, how would we manage to achieve the things that we achieve? What's exceptional is the resilience that we shouldn't still have to need. [2026 update: what's exceptional is the unparalleled amount of grace Black folx give to purveyors of the exceptionalism nonsense - I wonder if we should?]

And so I'd like to ask you to consider the thought that when you are praising Black people for being exceptional, and for their success, also think about what they had to do in order to achieve it. And think about how you can help to dismantle barriers in the spaces where you operate, so that this kind of success won't be seen as exceptional anymore. [2026 update: don't just notice; take action, or how will anything change?]

Thanks for reading my perspective,

Sharon

You don't have to read everything — just the right thing. 1440's daily newsletter distills the day's biggest stories from 100+ sources into one quick, 5-minute read. It's the fastest way to stay sharp, sound informed, and actually understand what's happening in the world. Join 4.5 million readers who start their day the smart way.

Join for free today!

Note: poll feedback is private - if you’re happy to share your thoughts in public, then please also leave a comment.

Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).