By james art 
frommeeting roomsto sports arenas, Black women’s excellence is often scrutinized as if it is not legitimate, innate, or rightfully earned. Some of us have been told since elementary school that we have to be twice as good and work twice as hard to succeed. And even then, our trust is questioned and we are overlooked for leadership roles.
The main message I get over and over again is that black women just I can’t be that well – that their talent is somehow a facade.
Take, for example, the post-debate ratings of the two vice presidential candidates, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz (D), and their respective running mates, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. The differences between the four nominees were telling. Vance it was smooth on camera, but there were a large number false truthsaccording to fact checkers. It is generally accepted that Waltz was one not as slick as Vans but authentic and decent in staying on message.
However, in my view, neither Vance’s nor Waltz’s performances — nor Trump’s for that matter — held up against Harris.
I was triggered when I heard conservative conspiracy theories that Harris’ Tiffany & Co. earrings. actually eavesdropping devicesor that she was given the questions ahead of time. The harshest claim came from a preacher in Dallas claiming that Harris used witchcraft to win the debate.
The unspoken premise here is that black women simply cannot lead or excel without help. If they perform well, it means something is wrong or something is manipulated.
Some of this may be a result of tall poppy syndrome, where people are neglected because of their superiority, not in spite of it. In a CNN panel in September, undecided women voters in Georgia weighed in on the fiery Trump-Harris debate. While studies show that Harris dominatedsome viewers took issue with her performance rather than her politics.
As a former executive media trainer, I happen to know that Harris’s debate performance was stellar. From establishing authority and rapport with an opening handshake to her disciplined and flawless delivery of messages—biography, data, contrast, then bait—Harris was composed, focused, and clear.
Yet one woman in the undecided group concluded that Harris was a good speaker and not much else. She said that Harris can represent our country, but her great performance in the debate does not qualify her to be president.
I’m not sure how this woman and everyone else who dismisses Harris’ excellent performance in the debate missed Harris’ powerful trademark Elimination of Senate hearings in the past. It wasn’t a tale for the sake of a tale—it was action. Many of us have realized this from her career as a prosecutor and attorney general of California giving up is not in Harris’ DNA. And it’s backed up by decades of experience.
Why should being an articulate, focused and engaging communicator disqualify her as a leader?
I often see this strange contradiction. My own journey as a black woman in corporate leadership was littered with similar criticisms: “too poised,” “too strategic,” “too articulate,” “too polished.” This means that we should not have these qualities to begin with. And if we somehow do, it’s cheating.
I listen to the stories every day. Black women are constantly questioned, demoted, or rejected, not because they are incompetent, but because performs too well.
It’s unnerving when, no matter how many credentials you have, some people will still vilify you as a “DEI hire,” implying that you only got there because the institution needed a black person to create the impression of diversity. But we are talented and worthy of the roles we play. Wewin these jobs and those letters behind our namesdespite the obstacles.
Being a skilled public speaker comes with the territory for the former California Attorney General, US Senator and now Vice President of the United States. There can never be enough polish for these roles.
Great leaders must be great communicators—that’s how they communicate ideas in compelling ways and get others to share their vision. Some great leaders just happen to be black women, and it’s okay if that makes some people uncomfortable. Black women like Harris persevere despite criticism. We simply will not back down with our exquisite and leadership qualities, and this is exactly the kind of leadership our country needs.