As long as I can remember, this has been the advice given to many bright-eyed Black kids as they looked down the street of possibilities. This advice oftentimes was given by adults who lived in an era where being “twice as good as White folks” was practically a requirement if you wanted to move ahead.
In the age of affirmative action (where businesses are required by law to hire a certain amount of minorities), a growing Black middle class, Black entrepreneurship and other successes, I think that it is safe to say that “being twice as good” is more of a misnomer these days.
Yes, we do work hard just like any other group to reach our personal goals. But to suggest that most Blacks still have to work twice as hard is simply not true in most cases today.
Like other good parents, my wife and I raise our kids not only to work hard, but work smart. That means we will do all we can to show them how to get around the roadblocks that will be waiting for them in the real world.
Instructing my kids to be twice as good as Whites only instills in them a sense of never being good enough. As an adult, I have seen the effects of this firsthand in other adults. When you have to tell the world that you are a “Strong Black man”, “Strong Black woman”, “I take care of my kids”, etc., as if it were a medal of honor given to you by the Wiz, you are only underscoring your insecurity.
I don’t want my kids to be twice as good. I simply want them to do their very best. This is how my wife and I were raised and we are doing the same with our kids.
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“You Gotta Be Twice As Good”
by Duane on October 3rd, 2008 at 5:35 pmAs long as I can remember, this has been the advice given to many bright-eyed Black kids as they looked down the street of possibilities. This advice oftentimes was given by adults who lived in an era where being “twice as good as White folks” was practically a requirement if you wanted to move ahead.
In the age of affirmative action (where businesses are required by law to hire a certain amount of minorities), a growing Black middle class, Black entrepreneurship and other successes, I think that it is safe to say that “being twice as good” is more of a misnomer these days.
Yes, we do work hard just like any other group to reach our personal goals. But to suggest that most Blacks still have to work twice as hard is simply not true in most cases today.
Like other good parents, my wife and I raise our kids not only to work hard, but work smart. That means we will do all we can to show them how to get around the roadblocks that will be waiting for them in the real world.
Instructing my kids to be twice as good as Whites only instills in them a sense of never being good enough. As an adult, I have seen the effects of this firsthand in other adults. When you have to tell the world that you are a “Strong Black man”, “Strong Black woman”, “I take care of my kids”, etc., as if it were a medal of honor given to you by the Wiz, you are only underscoring your insecurity.
I don’t want my kids to be twice as good. I simply want them to do their very best. This is how my wife and I were raised and we are doing the same with our kids.
Sphere: Related Content