Who Gets to Defy Gravity?

The Illusion of Performance as Protection

The idea that excellence can shield us from racism has long been entrenched in societal thinking. 

This mindset tells us that if we achieve enough—get the degrees, land the job, stay calm under pressure, and present ourselves in the “right” way—we can change the narrative.

An alluring lie, that offers the illusion of control in a world where so much is outside our grasp, but the respect we are owed should never hinge on our ability to outperform.

However, history and lived experience show otherwise.

From Serena Williams being demeaned on and off the court despite her unmatched athletic prowess, to Cynthia Erivo being overlooked in British media coverage of Wicked despite her undeniable talent, the message is clear:

No amount of excellence can erase the racial bias embedded in systems, institutions, and individual minds. 

The Myth of Perfection

Cynthia Erivo’s casting as Elphaba in the upcoming Wicked film adaptation is groundbreaking for many reasons.

If anyone’s performance should silence critics, it’s Erivo’s. Her Tony, Grammy, and Emmy awards are proof of her exceptional ability, yet even these accolades aren’t enough to shield her from bias. 

This reflects a larger societal issue: the expectation that Black women must be twice as good to receive half the recognition.

Erivo’s extraordinary ability doesn’t protect her from erasure—it highlights it. The narrative surrounding her role in Wicked reveals how society punishes Black women for their brilliance, simultaneously demanding it and minimising its value.

Elphaba’s story echoes this struggle. The character defies gravity, but her talents are met with fear and suspicion rather than admiration. Erivo’s casting is a bold statement: What if the most misunderstood character in the musical canon were brought to life by someone who knows what it means to be othered?

This isn’t just about one actress or one film. It’s a microcosm of how society treats Black women who dare to succeed. 

When Erivo plays Elphaba, she’s not just embodying a character; she’s confronting a system that expects Black women to work harder, do better, and still remain unseen. Her casting challenges audiences to rethink who gets to be the centre of the story, and it calls out the industry for its reluctance to fully embrace change.

The Cost of Overperformance

What makes this narrative even more insidious is the toll it takes on Black people’s mental, physical, and emotional health. Black women, in particular, are often caught in the double bind of racism and sexism, expected to carry the world on their shoulders while masking their own struggles. 

This burden of overperformance is exhausting, unsustainable, and ultimately unfulfilling, because the goalposts of acceptance and equality are constantly shifting.

When we internalise the idea that our worth is tied to our achievements, we lose sight of our humanity. We become so consumed with proving ourselves that we forget we are already enough. 

The harm isn’t just individual—it’s collective. If we spend all our energy trying to outperform racism, we leave little room to address its root causes or to demand the systemic changes that are desperately needed.

This truth is uncomfortable but necessary to confront. Shifting our focus from individual performance to collective action is the only way to dismantle the structures that uphold these structures. That requires all of us—Black people and allies alike—to challenge the systems at play, rather than placing the burden on Black individuals to prove their humanity.

The Path Forward: Reimagining Defiance

Cynthia Erivo’s journey is a call to action or “defying gravity,” a metaphor for rejecting societal norms, overcoming prejudice, and embracing one’s identity in the face of adversity, but it does not dismantle the systemic structures that perpetuate marginalisation.

Defying gravity should not rest solely on the shoulders of Black women like Erivo. Instead, it should be a collective effort to dismantle the structures that create the need for defiance in the first place. Here’s how;

1. Demand Media Accountability Media outlets must be held accountable for their role in perpetuating erasure. This means calling out omissions, challenging biased narratives, and amplifying stories that centre Black voices without framing them as anomalies.
2. Redefine Visibility Visibility should not be conditional on perfection or overachievement. We must celebrate Black women for who they are, not just for what they accomplish, and challenge narratives that frame them as “exceptional” to justify their inclusion.
3. Embrace Intersectionality Erivo’s identity as a Black, British, queer woman intersects in ways that amplify both her challenges and her strengths. Recognising and celebrating these intersections is essential to dismantling the one-dimensional portrayals that often dominate media narratives.
4. Support Systemic Change Representation in film and media is not enough. The structures that allow for bias—whether in casting decisions, press coverage, or cultural storytelling—must be interrogated and reimagined to ensure equity.

A Provocative Challenge

Racism is not our burden to solve through perfection. It is a societal disease that demands collective accountability. 

To break this cycle, we must critically evaluate how success is framed. For Black women in the public eye, visibility is often conditional—a reward for conforming to societal expectations rather than a recognition of inherent worth.

It challenges us to question the stories we consume and the biases we perpetuate. Why do Black women have to prove themselves repeatedly, only to be sidelined? Why does the media continue to underreport their contributions? And why do we allow these patterns to persist?

The constant framing of Black excellence as extraordinary reinforces the myth that Black women must work twice as hard for half the credit. It also upholds the harmful notion that visibility and respect must be earned through overachievement rather than granted as a basic right.

The responsibility to dismantle racism does not rest solely on Black people, nor can it be achieved through individual performances of excellence. It is a collective endeavour that requires persistent, systemic change. For that to happen, we must all let go of the false narrative that if Black people just “worked harder” or “did better,” racism would disappear.

Instead, let us redirect that energy into creating a world where Black people are valued for their humanity, not their ability to overachieve. A world where systemic barriers are dismantled, rather than shifted to make room for a few exceptions. A world where rest, joy, and authenticity are as celebrated as success.

Let’s start now....

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