Supertokenism

Can certainly relate to this. Being often the only or one of the few Black men in education with the experiences I've had and expertise gained as a result, I've certainly been 'supertokenised'.

When weaponsied against others that look like me - for example being a Black Brit, here in Canada - its my accent, my clarity, my novel and unique experience - with the irony not lost on me (here in Canada) that if I had all of the same things in Canadian 'currency' the evidence - from looking left and right at my peers at my level - it is clear that I wouldn't be in this position. Added to, there's a reason why I'm not the me reaping all of this benefit back in the UK where I hit the glass ceiling for the second part mentioned...

... when suggesting others who are like me, the good faith - that wasn't initially extended to me - also ends with me... the 'we can't vouch for them', 'we (now) know your 'worth'*, but they pose a risk'... in short, it took a lot for us to include you into this space and we don't wish to risk doing it again.

*usually as it pertains to selling the glossy prospectus of the organisation, but not remuneration or advancement

The eventual weight of being supertokenised is that you are constantly encouraged to believe the hype about your exceptionalism (that is, until you're not any more), while at the same time, you lose credibility with others who look to you and your successes as a means to find their way. The truth of the exceptionalism as Tara Robertson quotes from Dr Dori Tunstall is nestled in the fact that after all of the adversity thrown at you, you're still there, so you must be one of the tough ones. What isn't seen, by those who sanction you as one of the 'exceptionals' as much as those who your narrative is weaponised against is the emotional tax constantly being added.

For me, I don't like to gate keep good information, especially if it helps other historically shut out identities (particularly Black ones) to find their way in and make themselves known, heard and comfortable(!). The EducatingWhileBlack Podcast project (found on all the podcast platforms) was one of the means employed to do that and I'll continue to use the privileges I've had to 'Robin Hood' what I know and learned to dismantle systems designed to exclude.