Sometimes when I share my articles on social media, I like to include the hashtag "#blackexcellence" as a joke. The term is usually used to refer to a black person who achieves some form of success.
What it should not be used for is Jussie Smollett: someone who is willing to lie about a hate crime.
Smollett has been in the news recently for allegedly being assaulted by two men in "Make America Great Again" hats. Of course, it came out that he was lying about the whole thing and paid some people to help him fake the attack. Despite all the evidence against him, the existing charges were dropped without explanation. I have no idea why he wasn't charged, but this is nothing for black people to celebrate.
There are so many times throughout human history where a hate crime has been committed against a black person as a result of some lie told by a white person.
Emmet Till and Rosewood come to mind. Both were started by a white woman lying about being raped by a black man. She was believed because she was white and because people believed in the stereotype that black men were violent rapists.
Jussie has just given racists another stereotype. Now whenever someone claims they were the victim of a hate crime, there's going to be an overwhelming amount of skepticism about their claim. They will be called an outright liar.
Is that what people think "black excellence" really is? Because it isn't.
When I think of "black excellence" I think of someone like LeBron James. He has set out to use his money and influence to benefit others with the I Promise School he opened last year.
The same can't be said for Jussie. He just faked a hate crime for attention. What annoys me about this whole situation is that people are celebrating his charges being dropped just because it makes white people mad.
We've got to do better as a society if this is the type of person we praise.
Jussie is guilty of doing the same thing that Carolyn Bryan did when she lied and said Emmet Till raped her. Honestly, he should be blackballed from Hollywood and shunned by the world...but that's not going to happen since he's already being welcomed back with open arms to Empire, which he doesn't deserve.
Jussie has done nothing but help make it easier for the world to stereotype and ignore black people. That, to me, is the utter opposite of "black excellence."
