Being that I live in Spain, usually only the biggest American stories ever reach me – things worthy of the attention of the international community. Most recently, such a thing was the California fires which claimed nearly 30 lives and destroyed an estimated $250 billion worth or property.
With so much devastation, it makes sense for news outlets abroad to cover the situation. I’d be made proud to see a Spanish news outlet showcasing America’s humanitarian efforts to restore people’s lives. Sadly, that didn’t happen. Instead, what I saw on the news a few weeks ago was coverage showing large groups of young African American men robbing and looting helpless victims in the wake of the disaster.
Regardless of who was doing it, it was a very bad look.
But to see people of my own race act so poorly only upped the ante. Here I am, in a foreign country some 4,000-plus miles away from the U.S., watching my own kind being featured not for all the good we do, but for something so ugly.
This led me to reflect on the concept of black excellence. I know countless black people who are of the highest quality possible. Yet as shown on the Spanish news station, the best we bring to the world is often overshadowed by the misdeeds and shortcomings of a few.
Having lived in 9 cities across 4 countries, I have a unique perspective on how black people are often perceived and treated throughout the world. Sadly, based on my experiences, it’s not always the best.
Many of us think we can fight racism, bigotry, and prejudice by pleading for others to change. But I think it’s best to invoke change from within. Specifically, my position is that we black people can improve the way we are viewed and handled by truly achieving excellence without needing to frame it from a racial perspective.
In doing so, we wouldn’t need to beg the world for respect because we’d simply be able to demand it. How might that be so? Keep reading to find out how we can achieve black excellence.
What Is Black Excellence Anyways?
The term “Black Excellence” has always made me pause. It almost suggests that excellence isn’t expected of us—that our baseline is something less. After all, you never hear about Mexican Excellence, Asian Excellence, or even White Excellence. Why is that?
Yet, when I see stories like the one I just described, I understand why we use it. If the dominant narrative too often paints us in a negative light, then it makes sense that we’d create a term to amplify the best of us. In a way, it’s both a response and a reminder that we have always been capable of greatness.
But is this the best way to shift the narrative? Or should our excellence be so undeniable that we no longer need the label?
Three Pillars Of Black Excellence
For the sake of brevity, I’ve challenged myself to identify the three most impactful ways we can elevate ourselves and reshape our collective future. In order, they are:
- Master Financial Literacy
- Establish Stronger Families
- Develop More Valuable Skills
These three pillars form the foundation of true Black excellence. Here’s why they matter—and how we can implement them.
Black Excellence = Financial Excellence
Financial mastery is the first and most crucial pillar of Black excellence. We can follow the rest of the advice in the article by strengthening our families and developing better skills that lead to high-paying jobs, but none of it will truly move us forward if we don’t learn to manage our money.
The numbers speak for themselves. Black households carry higher levels of unsecured debt, student loan debt, and medical debt than White households. Here’s how we compare:
Beyond that, Black households also have higher debt-to-asset ratios, meaning a larger portion of the assets we own are financed through debt. While trends show slight improvement, we aren’t moving fast enough—not when the median wealth for White households sits at $250,400, compared to just $24,520 for Black households.
Anecdotally, what I see missing most from our culture is an emphasis on saving and investing. Many Black people I know see their income primarily as a means of consumption, with little thought given to long-term financial security. The pattern repeats: our grandparents never learned to save, so our parents didn’t either. The result? A vicious cycle of living on the financial edge—one that too few of us have been able to break.
It’s time for that to change.
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Why It's Important We Establish Stronger Families For Black Excellence
As a Black man, I don’t need statistics to tell me about the dire state of the Black family. All I have to do is look around—at my own family and that of many friends—to see the reality: too many of us come from single-parent homes, often led by mothers with fathers nowhere in sight.
That said, not everyone reading this is Black, and not all Black people come from single-parent households. So while lived experience tells one story, data provides the broader picture. Here’s what the numbers reveal:
Looking at this data we can clearly see the advantage kids of other races have and the primary source of what stops so many Black people from achieving excellence. Contrary to what the news and social media might have us believe, it’s not the White man or the police keeping us from success.
While systemic issues exist, the biggest challenge we face isn’t external—it’s internal. I’d argue that the breakdown of the traditional family structure is at the core of our struggles.
If one in every two Black children grows up in a single-parent home, how can the majority of them be expected to get ahead? Yes, many of us have proven that success is still possible, but the reality is clear: children are far more likely to thrive when they have both a mother and a father in the home.
Two adults working together create synergies—they can pool their resources, share responsibilities, and provide much-needed stability. But beyond finances, they emotionally support each other, offering a safety net during life’s inevitable struggles.
I’m willing to bet we all know at least one single mother. And we likely understand how challenging that situation can be. Now, take a moment to internalize this: this is the reality for about half of Black households.
Black Excellence Requires Valuable Skills
Back in 2024, Elon Musk shared a post on X highlighting the median household income of various ethnic groups in the U.S. At the top of the list were Indian Americans with a median income of $119,858, followed by Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, Pakistani, and other groups—all ahead of White Americans, who ranked 12th at $65,902.
I agree with Musk’s caption on the post: America is a land of opportunity. But if that’s true, why do so many of these opportunities seem to escape Black Americans—one of the country’s oldest migrant groups—who have a median household income of just $56,490?
Of course, there are many reasons for this gap. But one undeniable factor is educational attainment and career choices. As a whole, Black students graduate at lower rates in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) while being significantly overrepresented in fields like Public Administration and Social Services.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with studying Public Administration or Social Services, but let’s be real: the ultimate goal of education is workforce preparation—and specialized, high-demand skills lead to higher earnings because of their value in the marketplace.
In my technology career, I’ve noticed something striking: the vast majority of my colleagues are Indian, but very few are Black. This tells me something important—there are massive opportunities for Black people to elevate themselves through specialized education that equips us with the skills to earn top dollar for our efforts.
Conclusion: Taking Charge of Our Own Destiny
As humans, we often search for complex solutions to simple problems. The challenges facing Black communities run deep, but the path forward doesn’t have to be complicated. We can solve many of these issues by focusing on what we control—our habits, values, work ethic, and decisions.
I’m hopeful that in the future, when stories like the one at the start of this article make headlines, they won’t be about Black people robbing and looting—but about Black people standing as equals, uplifting society with our brilliance, our innovation, and our vast resources.
I know we can get there. But no one is coming to save us. If we truly want to achieve this Black Excellence we so often speak of, we must take full charge of our own destinies.