Making Blackness a competition

Has anyone been around those who have done this? I’m not speaking of this from the perspective of Black people in the day to day, but those in higher-ed, academia or other fields that don’t normally have Black representation.

I’ve grown to be very confortable with myself, but I’ve recognized that many who have to announce their “Blackness” come off as insecure in their identity. Or those who put other Black people down for their undesirable representation of the Black American.

I find this to be common in “Black Excellence”, where it seems it turns into a competition of who can fly their Pan-African colors the highest as they navigate the capitalistic landscape, being the pinnacle of Black representation based off of their education level.

Part of me wishes many in our diaspora could acknowledge that we’re not above our common person.