Frommeeting roomswith The excellence of Black women on the sports field is often scrutinized as if it were not something legitimate, innate, or rightfully earned. Some of us have been told since grade school that we have to be twice as good and work twice as hard to make it. And even then our reliability questioned and leadership roles are ignored.

The general message I get over and over again is: Black women just can’t to be HE good – his abilities are somewhat for show.

For example, two vice presidential candidates, Sen. Consider the post-debate evaluations of J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) and their running mates, former President Donald Trump and the Vice President. Kamala Harris. The differences between the four candidates were clear. vance it was slippery on camera, but a lot of numbers came out mistakesAccording to fact checkers. Walz generally accepted Not as smooth as Vance, but original and good at staying on message.

However, in my opinion, neither Vance, Walz, nor Trump’s performances could stand against Harris.

Harris’ Tiffany & Co. It was triggering when I heard conservative conspiracy theories about her earrings being worn. actually listening devicesor that the questions were given to him in advance. The scariest claim came from a Dallas preacher Claiming Harris used witchcraft to win the argument.

The unspoken premise here is that Black women cannot lead or succeed without help. If they are performing well, that means something is wrong or something is rogue.

Some of this may be due to: long poppy syndrome, Where people are despised not in spite of their perfection, but because of it. During a CNN panel in September, undecided female voters in Georgia weighed in on the heated Trump-Harris debate. While surveys show that Harris prevailedsome viewers took issue with his performance, not his policies.

As a former executive media trainer, I know Harris’ debate performance was excellent. Establishing authority and relationship with a person handshake opening Despite his disciplined and flawless message delivery (biography, data, contrast, then bait), Harris was collected, focused and clear.

But one woman on the “undecided” panel concluded that Harris was a good spokesperson and there isn’t much else. He said Harris could represent our country, but her stellar performance in the debate was not enough to lead her as president.

I’m not sure how this woman and others who belittled Harris’ excellent debate performance missed Harris’ trademark strength. Senate takedown hearings in the past. This wasn’t just talk, it was action. Many of us have noticed this from his career as a prosecutor and California attorney general: Backing down isn’t in Harris’ DNA. And this is backed by decades of experience.

Why would being an effective, focused, and persuasive communicator prevent him from being a leader?

I see this strange contradiction often. My journey in corporate leadership as a Black woman is filled with similar criticisms: “too calm,” “too strategic,” “too outspoken,” “too flamboyant.” This means that we really shouldn’t have these qualities to begin with. And if we somehow did that, it would be a fraud.

I hear the stories every day. Black women are constantly questioned, demoted, or belittled, not because they are incompetent. performs very well.

It’s frustrating that no matter how much credentials you have, some people still smear you as a “hired at DEI,” implying that you got there because the organization needed a Black person to create the impression of diversity. But we are talented and worthy of the roles we take on. Wewin these jobs and get them The letters behind our namesdespite the obstacles.

Being a skilled speaker comes with territory for a former California attorney general, U.S. senator and current vice president of the United States. There can never be enough polish for these roles.

Great leaders must be great spokespeople; It’s a way of conveying ideas in compelling ways and getting others to share their vision. Some great leaders are Black women, and if that makes some people uncomfortable, that’s okay. Black women like Harris are persevering despite the criticism. With our flamboyance and leadership qualities, we will not back down, and that is exactly the kind of leadership our country needs.