SPEAKER_00 0:00

What it do, what it do, it's your boy Andre Spruel and you're tapped into Middle of the Fence podcast. Have you ever noticed how certain phrases become so common that we stop asking what they actually mean? For me, one of those phrases is black excellence. For some, it brings to mind success, achievement, and representation. For others, it represents resilience, history, and progress. But what if we've been thinking about it too narrowly? In this episode of Middle of Defense, we're taking a step back to explore where the phrase came from, why it matters, and whether its meaning goes far beyond awards, wealth, or public recognition. Because maybe the better question isn't simply what is black excellence? Maybe it's what does excellence really look like? Let's get into it. What it do, what it do? It's your boy Andre Spruel, and you're tuning into Middle of the Defense Podcast. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day. Whether you're listening, watching, or both, as I like to say, time is the most valuable thing on this earth because we can spend it but can't make it back. So as always, thank you for your time. And if you're watching, I got a little extra fresh for you guys because I feel like this topic calls for me to do that. So let's get into it. Have you ever noticed how certain phrases become part of our culture? Yet we rarely stop to ask what they actually mean. One of those phrases is black excellence. Maybe you've heard it after someone graduates from college, or maybe you've heard it when someone wins a championship or starts a successful business or reaches a milestone that inspires millions of people. And it's a phrase that's become increasingly common over the past several years. But recently, I find myself asking a very simple question. Have we misunderstood what black excellence really means? And the reason why I bring this up is because maybe the conversation isn't just about success. Maybe it's about something much deeper than that. So the term black excellence, I've heard it all my life. And it carries more significant weight for me compared to, let's say, some other people. And I'm not trying to make that all about race, by the way. But um growing up, I always thought that anytime I heard black excellence and heard it as a child, as a teenager, and in my early 20s, I always saw it as the highest mark possible. And it would include things like making winning big awards or being a millionaire or billionaire, being on the force 40 under 40 as a black person, or just reaching these types of goals and milestones that the common person can only think of. And it's not to diminish anyone who has been thrown into that black excellence category and have gone on to achieve great things. Again, nothing wrong with that. Regardless of how I feel towards certain celebrities or anything like that, I won't ever hate on someone else's successes. Because again, everyone has their own path and purpose in life, and it's up to us to follow it. But when it comes to that black excellence and how I interpreted it, interpreted it, excuse me, that's how it always was. Like the highest forms possible. But as I've gone through life and have met just people from all walks of life, the definition started to change. And I started to realize, wow, with that term, we're just focusing on a very select few number of people and overlooking the black excellence that shows up in other forms, like the teacher that impacts students for generations, the person that always holds food drives and and school give backs and impacts their community in a positive way that helps people for generations. And the list goes on and on. But redefining what black excellence really means because it goes far beyond achieving the goals that a select few are able to do. It's and we should also focus on the people that are truly leaving an impact that may never get that notoriety or fame, even though they there are people that probably uh deserve it more than the celebrities that we look up to that we attach that black excellence saying to. To understand almost any phrase, it helps to understand where it came from. So the idea of black excellence didn't emerge because black um achievement suddenly appeared. Black men and women have been making extraordinary contributions in fields such as science, education, business, medicine, the military, sports, the arts, and countless other fields for generations. The phrase black excellence gained prominence because many of those contributions weren't always recognized equally. And for much of history, barriers to education, employment, voting, housing, and opportunity meant that many of them either went unnoticed or even worse, were intentionally overlooked. So when recognition is limited, communities often create ways to celebrate one another. In many ways, black excellence became more than just a compliment. It became recognition, it became encouragement, it became a reminder that achievement was always possible, even when society always didn't acknowledge it. And I think understanding that historical context changes the conversation entirely. Because now we're no longer asking why people celebrate black excellence, we're asking what that celebration is really trying to communicate. Psychology offers another interesting perspective. Researchers have long studied something called social identity theory, which you may have heard me mention in in previous episodes, which suggests that part of our identity comes from the groups we belong to. When someone from our community succeeds, it often feels like more than an individual accomplishment. It expands what's imaginable for everyone else, and that's important. Representation matters because people naturally look for examples of what's possible. A young student who sees someone with a similar background become things like a doctor, an engineer, an entrepreneur, an elected official. They don't just see another successful person. They begin to think, hmm, maybe I can do that too. Recognition shapes expectations, and expectations often shape outcomes. That's one of the reasons why celebrating achievement can have effects far beyond the individual being celebrated. So if you can't tell already, this this episode is about black excellence. But to stray away from it just a slight bit as far as uh me wanting to shed a light on something that I witnessed that really started to change my perception of how I viewed black culture, how I participated in it, and making me realize why I wanted to leave a bigger impact um because I simply was ignorant to it. Now, growing up being black is important to me. A black American that's important to me. You know, that's that that comes from my father's side, and generations ago, like we don't know what like what part, like what country my dad's family came from, because at one point there was a generation that was enslaved in this country. And I always grew up with the black culture, knowing the knowing the music, knowing the lingo, being in predominantly black settings. I mean, I played basketball in Newark, New Jersey as uh with this complexion that that that I have. You know what I mean? And for those that are familiar, I was on 7th and 8th Street. So that tells you all you need to know. Uh, but all jokes aside, um, so throughout my life, like I always was in like ingrained in black culture and and all that, but it wasn't like the impact that I wanted to leave from that perspective wasn't really resonating with me until I was in college in 2016, uh, around that time. So Black Lives Matter was 2020, and in 20, but in 2016, there was um notable black deaths that happened at the hands of police officers that were gaining national news. And in particular, it was uh Philando, Castile, and Sterling Knight. Uh, excuse me, Alton Alton Sterling. And I remember that there was a group of black students at my school, and I went to school up in Poconos PA. So we had somewhat of a mix, but it's a predominantly white, white school, you know. But the but the black students held a protest, and they were in the middle of the student union building where the heart of the campus was, and they held signs and were um and were voicing what they felt they needed to do. And I remember just sitting there, just watching it, just soaking it all in. And part of me was wondering, yo, like why am I not taking taking part of this too? Because, you know, yeah, I'm Argentinian, but I'm also black as well. And I just I just vividly remember that moment because that was the catalyst to make me start to get more ingrained in my black culture even more. And getting into the black excellence portion of things, just realizing, all right, like I do want to give back to my community. So, what are the ways that I want to do that? And for me, it's through education because that's the premise of the show. If I did not get that private school education on the affluent acre side while growing up in the tough terrain, this show wouldn't have wouldn't wouldn't be possible. The life experiences that I've had wouldn't be possible. So through all the ups and downs, I'm very, very grateful for it. But everyone usually has that one catalyst moment that really makes them change for the better and sometimes for the worse. But in this case, it was it was for the better. But here's the question I just couldn't stop thinking about. What exactly do we mean by excellence? Have we unintentionally reduced excellence to things like fame, wealth, titles, or public recognition? Because if that's our definition, the most truly excellent people will never receive that label. Maybe excellence also looks like the parent working two jobs to provide for their family. Maybe it looks like the teacher who changes lives without ever making headlines. Maybe it looks like the mentor who invests in young people expecting nothing in return. Maybe it looks like someone breaking destructive generational patterns. Maybe it looks like integrity when no one is watching. Maybe excellence has always been less about being extraordinary and more about living with extraordinary character. Because sometimes our culture celebrates what is most visible, but visibility and value are not always the same thing. Some of the most influential people you'll ever meet may never become famous, yet their impact echoes through generations. So the the definition of excellence, regardless if it's black excellence or just excellence in general, that is the key word here. And again, it shouldn't just be highlighted for African Americans, right? And again, in I'm not saying that it shouldn't be highlighted, it does, because for many years we've been overlooked and continue to get overlooked. But that term excellence applies to everyone, regardless of your race, ethnic, background, and whatever other factors that you have. Because when we talk about excellence, we always hold it to the highest standard, you know, graduating from a prestigious Ivy League school, working for a major company and holding a super high, uh high uh position and things of that nature. But what people fail to realize is like, okay, if someone is living that quote unquote excellence life, sometimes like, do we ever wonder, like, are they happy? Are they happy? You know, and like I'm not saying that, like, oh, if you choose to pursue excellence, you're gonna be a miserable fuck. No, like I'm not, I'm not saying that, but it's just something to really think about because excellence is what you define it as, and it's different for everybody, and that's why I'm so big on following what your path and purpose is in life, because the more that you're aligned with your path and your purpose, you're able to have a clearer have a clearer idea of what excellence looks like for you. Because what excellence looks like for me differs then uh differs from what excellence looks like for you or your sibling or your partner or whatever the case may be. Um, and if you and if you discuss excellence with your partner and get into a fight about it, don't blame me. But all jokes aside, defining excellence, again, it's different for everybody, and we can't always hold it to the highest regard and highest honor and look at the select few people and oh, they're at a standard of excellence because they're they've they've achieved X, Y, and Z, you know. But because of that, we often overlook people that truly are achieving excellence, but may never get the notoriety to be recognized for it. So have we misunderstood black excellence? Maybe. Not because the phrase is wrong, but because we sometimes stop at the surface. Maybe black excellence isn't simply about celebrating remarkable accomplishments. Maybe it's about recognizing people whose successes weren't always recognized, because regardless of our race, culture, or background, every one of us has an opportunity to pursue excellence, not simply through achievement, but through integrity, through service, through compassion, through courage, through the way we treat the people around us. So maybe the better question isn't what is black excellence? Maybe the better question is what does excellence look like in your own life? Because when history tells your story, awards may be remembered, titles may be remembered, success may be remembered, but more than anything, people will remember how you made them feel. They'll remember your character, they'll remember your impact, and maybe that's the kind of excellence worth pursuing. Thank you guys so much for tuning in to this episode. And as I like to end every episode, well, before I end this, please be sure to share your thoughts in the comments. Like and share, subscribe, follow, however, you're tuning into the middle of the fence podcast. And no matter which side of the fence you grew up on, we're all more alike than we think. My name is Andre Spruel. Catch you guys next time. Let's fucking go, man. Let's go.