In this series of the Dissidents Podcast, Legacies of Black Pioneers, we speak with Ada Akpala of the Equiano Project on her problem with the term “black excellence”. Co-hosts, Winkfield Twyman, Jr. & Jennifer Richmond speak often of black resilience and triumph in their book, Letters in Black & White. After reading Ada's piece, My Problem with the Term Black Excellence, Wink sent her a note saying, "Jen has used the phrase "Black Excellence" in a recent tweet. I have devoted a month to exploring Pioneer Black Lawyers. Maybe, Jen and I missed the mark..."
We talk with Ada about the limitations of a well-intended phrase, black excellence. Does the phrase frame blackness in a negative light? Are there circumstances where black excellence conveys a constructive and positive good? Our discussion takes us from London to Virginia and Nigeria. Does black excellence make sense in a world containing over 1 billion people of Sub-Saharan descent? The question deserves more than a yes or a no answer. Enjoy a thoughtful conversation about a word many take for granted, black excellence.
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Resources:
My Problem With The Term Black Excellence, Ada Akpala
Letters in Black and White, Winkfield Twyman, Jr & Jennifer Richmond
The Problem with ‘Black Community’, Ada Akpala on the Patience Xina podcast
The Legacies of Black Pioneers: The Problem with Black Excellence with Ada Akpala