“There's so much white mediocrity that gets celebrated, and Black people, we have to be absolutely flawless to get half of [that]. We're trained to be like, 'If I'm not exceptional, I won't be loved! Certainly, I think that was my thing. So, yeah, I think I'm just learning now like, 'Oh, you are allowed to be loved! You don't have to be excellent or aspire to that term, 'Black excellence. What the hell?"
@Koritsi (this is a tangent. my identities are different but i've internalised the need for excellence deeply (perhaps through the way women are portrayed in film & television) and would be interested in exploring this with others but understand i need to stay in my lane. if anyone would like to, this is an invitation to start a separate conversation.)