Black people are everything; we know this. From innovation to resilience, beauty, talent, and grace, we embody greatness. We’ve contributed to every facet of life, including science, tech, music, sports, politics, you name it. And as we’ve seen recently with two new historic feats, Lebron James’ NBA all-time leading scorer record and Beyoncé winning the most Grammys by a single individual, we still goin’.

As we celebrate another Black Futures Month, it’s important to remind ourselves that giving and receiving love is a revolutionary act that requires everyday work. It’s important we, as Black people, especially my trans family, hold on to the fact that we don’t have to be a historic record-smashing ‘bosses’ to be loved, valued and celebrated.

The world has a long history of celebrating Black excellence through exceptionalism. When a Black person succeeds in any field, we’re often held up as examples of what all Black people can achieve if they just work hard enough. Meritocracy, skewed through white supremacy, cast a pallor onto our achievements, denying the full range of our Black greatness and ignoring our everyday accomplishments. Our ancestors sought Black exceptionalism as a tactic to be worthy of white, binary spaces. Black exceptionalism can be exhausting and traumatizing. It takes away our right to rest, love and forgive ourselves. If you find yourself in this situation, I challenge you to pause (for real this time!) and discover how to reclaim that energy for yourself. Say it with me!: I am loved, I am worthy, I am exceptional 365 days of the year.

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