March 12th, 2025

The audacity of mediocrity: Why Black women have to work twice as hard and it’s still not enough

ReShonda Tate

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett recently set the record straight on CNN, voicing what so many Black women know to be true: We are tired of the mediocrity of white men being rewarded while our excellence is policed.

It was a moment of raw, unfiltered truth — a truth that too many institutions and decision-makers refuse to acknowledge. Black women in America are expected to be exceptional just to receive a fraction of the recognition routinely handed to white men for doing the bare minimum.

Mediocrity is protected. Excellence is policed

Black women are the most educated demographic in the United States, yet we continue to earn less than our white counterparts, including white women. We hold degrees, break barriers and shatter expectations, yet we are routinely passed over for leadership roles in favor of less qualified candidates. The reason? Structural racism, gender bias and the deeply ingrained protection of white male privilege.

When Black women advocate for ourselves, we are labeled as “intimidating” or “too aggressive.” When we challenge the status quo, we are told we are “angry.”

Meanwhile, white men who demonstrate the same level of assertiveness are praised for their confidence and leadership. This double standard is not just frustrating — it is a systemic problem that actively works against our advancement.

The ‘Twice as Hard’ mantra is a trap

For generations, we have been taught to work twice as hard to get half as much. While resilience is a virtue, this mentality is also a trap. It places the burden of systemic inequities on Black women instead of on the institutions that perpetuate them. The exhaustion we feel is not just from working harder — it is from constantly having to prove ourselves in a rigged game.

Tackling systemic biases

Black women’s exclusion from leadership and decision-making positions is not accidental — it is systemic. Organizations claim to value diversity and inclusion, but the numbers tell a different story. Black women hold only 4% of C-suite positions in corporate America. Pay disparities persist, leadership pipelines remain overwhelmingly white and those who challenge the system often find themselves pushed out rather than promoted.

The myth of meritocracy collapses when Black women with Ivy League degrees and decades of experience are still overlooked for opportunities given to less qualified white men (can someone say Kamala Harris?). Excellence alone won’t save us because the system was never designed to reward us equally in the first place.

What we must do

The status quo is unacceptable. If institutions and individuals truly want to see change, it’s time to move beyond empty rhetoric and take real action.

For Black women:

• Know that your worth isn’t defined by how hard you work in a system that was never built for you.
• Build networks of support and solidarity with other Black women and allies who value and respect your contributions.
• Protect your mental health. The fight for equity is important, but so is your well-being.
• Demand better — whether in the workplace, politics or everyday life. Your excellence deserves recognition without compromise.

For employers and institutions:

• Stop expecting Black women to out perform just to earn a seat at the table.
• Conduct honest audits of your hiring and promotion practices. Identify and eliminate biases that block Black women from advancing.
• Address pay gaps by ensuring that Black women are compensated fairly and equitably.
• Invest in leadership pipelines for Black women, and stop treating diversity as a performative checkbox.

For allies:

• Speak up when you see inequity. Silence is complicity. Challenge systems that reward mediocrity while punishing Black women’s excellence.
• Use your privilege to advocate for change in the rooms where Black women are often excluded.
• Black women are tired — tired of carrying institutions on our backs, tired of being told we must prove ourselves again and again, tired of systems that celebrate mediocrity while sidelining brilliance. If real change is going to happen, it will require more than just acknowledgment—it will demand accountability and action. Until then, we will continue to speak out, stand tall and demand the respect we have more than earned.

ReShonda Tate is the national bestselling author of more than 53 books, ReShonda Tate has the credentials, and the passion, to bring stories to life. She writes both adult and teen fiction, as well as nonfiction. She has received a plethora of distinguished awards and honors for her journalism, fiction and poetry-writing skills, including induction into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame and a Texas Top Author honor. Considered one of the top African American authors in the country, her books remain a staple on bestseller’s lists and have been featured in USA Today, The Washington Post, Jet, People, Essence, and Ebony Magazines.