Gemeni Sun

When Exceptional is Your Average

“Everybody can’t be exceptional, or else there’d be no use for the word.” I distinctly remember making that point in a high school English class once. My teacher frowned at me, but that didn’t negate my point in my eyes. My statement lead to a lively class debate about phonics, William Webster, and the creation of the dictionary. I may have been a dick about it, but my point still remained...if everyone was considered exceptional then what would constitute ‘exceptional’ to the exceptional? At some point I resigned to this thought of ‘Exception being the new Average’ which lead me to concluding that by my teacher’s agreement, if ‘Exception is the new Average’ and as some ignorant classmates trying to be funny indicated in all aspects, black people have made unimpeachable contributions deemed excellent, then you’re average black girl or boy is exceptional and cream of the top because institutionalized racism forces black folks, women and poc to be better than your average white man. I forgot about all of that when I went to college. I was fortunate to attend not 1, but 2 Historically Black College/Universities and being surround by my peoples....the little chip that was growing on my shoulder stopped. I was totally immersed in college life as a young African-american young woman. Graduating and entering the workforce reminded me of that little chip.

I spent 2 years in corporate america trying to learn how to navigate the seemingly never-ending floors in between glass ceilings only to learn be reminded of that high school discussion about excellence and mediocrity. After getting laid off and spending years looking for work, when I landed back in corporate I decided I would not shrink nor hide myself like before in an effort to conform. Who cares if I fit in as long as the work got done; and the work definitely got done. How I dressed had nothing to with my work ethic, the quality of it, nor the efficiency in which I worked. I produced excellence because I am exceptional. Being myself gave me a sense of freedom I wasn’t aware I even needed. The reminder, the kick in the pants I needed to take that level of defiant confidence and apply it to every other area of my life. I refused to conform to someone else’s idea of who this black girl is supposed to be.

I decided that if you can call a double degree, multi-hyphenate creative, multi-business woman who is happy, healthy and thriving in her own rights and merits ‘regular’ or ‘average’; then babaaaaaay I am in EXCEPTIONAL COMPANY because if you weren’t aware...let me be the first to remind you that when it comes to Black Women especially THIS BLACK WOMAN.... Exceptional is the Average!