In America, Minority Professionals are often told they must be “twice as good[1]” as their white counterparts to receive equal recognition and opportunities. This phrase, which has been passed down through generations, speaks to the lived experience of systemic inequality in education, the workforce, and social mobility. It reflects the enduring pressures on Minority Professionals to overperform, overwork, and overachieve in environments that are often hostile or indifferent to their success. But behind this notion lies a complex psychological burden, one that can result in profound emotional and mental strain.
This article will explore the concept of “being twice as good” from the perspective of Black psychoanalysis, an approach that examines how the histories of racism, slavery, and systemic oppression have left deep imprints on the collective Black psyche.[2] Using real citations and data, we will explore the psychological costs of overcompensation, the toll it takes on Black professionals, and how psychoanalysis can offer insights into healing and empowerment.[3]
The Origins of the “Twice as Good” Mentality
The notion of having to be “twice as good” stems from a long history of racial oppression in America. In the post-slavery and Jim Crow era[4], Black individuals were continuously subjected to policies, practices, and attitudes that limited their educational, professional, and social opportunities. Historically, Black people were required to exceed expectations in ways their white counterparts were not, and even then, success did not guarantee fair treatment.
Historian Jennifer L. Morgan highlights how slavery instituted an ingrained belief in the inferiority of Black people, with African Americans consistently having to prove their humanity and competence in ways that white individuals did not. From Reconstruction to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond, Minority Professionals encountered systemic barriers in all facets of life, reinforcing the idea that only by being “twice as good” could they carve out success or even survival.[5]
This burden is not just an external societal pressure but also an internalized belief. Black parents, aware of the challenges their children would face in a racist society, often passed down the mantra that “you have to work twice as hard.” While intended as a survival strategy, this approach can foster an enduring sense of anxiety, exhaustion, and self-doubt in Minority Professionals who, despite their achievements, feel like they are perpetually under a microscope.
The Psychological Burden of Overperformance
Psychotherapy delves into the psychological toll of this constant need to prove one’s worth. W.E.B. Du Bois’ concept of “double consciousness” is particularly relevant here.[6] In The Souls of Black Folk[7], Du Bois writes about how Black individuals in America are always aware of how they are perceived by white society, leading to a “twoness” in which Black people must navigate both their self-identity and the expectations imposed on them by a racist world.
This dual consciousness manifests in the workplace, where Minority Professionals are hyper-aware of how they are perceived, judged, and treated differently. The pressure to be “twice as good” results in an exhausting form of overperformance, wherein Black individuals must not only excel but also remain constantly vigilant, careful to avoid being labeled as “lazy,” “incompetent,” or “unfit”—stereotypes deeply rooted in the history of anti-Black racism. Black psychoanalyst Dr. Beverly Greene describes this as “racial battle fatigue[8],” a term used to describe the chronic stress Black people face as they continuously confront racism in their professional environments.
The psychological toll of overperformance can lead to burnout, anxiety, depression, and even feelings of impostor syndrome. Many Minority Professionals describe feeling that, despite their qualifications and achievements, they are not genuinely seen as equals by their peers or superiors. This is because the structures that demand Black people to be “twice as good” are rooted in a system that was never designed to include them in the first place. Dr. Joy DeGruy’s work on post-traumatic slave syndrome[9] explains how the historical trauma of slavery has passed down intergenerationally, leaving psychological scars on Black individuals that manifest in perfectionism, hypervigilance, and overachievement as coping mechanisms.
Navigating White Spaces: Emotional and Social Isolation
In predominantly white work environments, Minority Professionals often find themselves feeling isolated or tokenized. They may be the only Black person in the room, subject to microaggressions, stereotypes, or the burden of having to represent their entire race. Psychotherapy examines the intrapsychic conflict that arises when Minority Professionals are forced to navigate these white-dominated spaces while managing their own internal struggles around identity, worth, and belonging.
Psychologist Dr. Derald Wing Sue’s research on racial microaggressions highlights how these subtle, often unconscious forms of discrimination can accumulate over time, leading to feelings of anger, frustration, and alienation.[10] In professional settings, Black individuals may feel pressure to suppress their authentic selves to fit into the dominant culture, a phenomenon often referred to as “code-switching.” While code-switching may help Minority Professionals survive in these environments, it can also create a sense of disconnection from their own identities, leading to psychological dissonance.
Dr. Frantz Fanon’s psychoanalytic work, particularly in Black Skin, White Masks[11], delves into the deep psychological effects of racialized environments on the Black psyche. Fanon explains how Black individuals, in their interactions with white society, are often reduced to stereotypes and forced to wear figurative “masks” to navigate these oppressive structures. The burden of having to perform a version of oneself that is palatable to the white gaze further adds to the emotional strain of being “twice as good.”
Psychotherapy as a Pathway to Healing
The concept of being “twice as good” can be reframed through the lens of Black psychoanalysis, which seeks to understand and heal the psychic wounds caused by racism and internalized oppression. Black psychoanalysis, particularly the work of scholars such as Dr. Cheryl Thompson and Dr. Beverly Greene, emphasizes the importance of recognizing how historical and contemporary racial trauma influences the Black psyche, particularly in professional settings.
- Unpacking Internalized Racism: Psychotherapy helps Minority Professionals recognize and confront the internalized racism that drives the need to overperform. By understanding that the pressure to be “twice as good” is rooted in systemic inequality, individuals can begin to release the internalized burden of needing to prove their worth in a white-dominated society.
- Fostering Self-Acceptance and Authenticity: Psychoanalysis also encourages Minority Professionals to reconnect with their authentic selves, challenging the notion that they must conform to white standards of success or behavior. It offers tools for self-reflection, helping individuals explore their own desires, aspirations, and values outside of the oppressive structures that demand overachievement.
- Collective Empowerment and Solidarity: Finally, Psychotherapy emphasizes the importance of community and collective healing. By fostering solidarity among Black professionals, psychoanalysis can help individuals find strength in shared experiences and create spaces of empowerment where Black excellence is celebrated, not burdened by unrealistic expectations.
Conclusion
The expectation for Minority Professionals to be “twice as good” is a symptom of the larger systemic racism that continues to permeate American society. While this pressure has historically served as a survival mechanism, it also imposes a significant psychological burden on Black individuals, leading to overwork, burnout, and emotional distress.
Psychotherapy provides a powerful framework for understanding the intrapsychic effects of this pressure and offers pathways to healing. By unpacking the internalized racism that fuels the need to overperform, Minority Professionals can begin to reclaim their sense of self-worth, authenticity, and agency in the workplace. In doing so, they not only challenge the oppressive structures that demand them to be “twice as good,” but also create new narratives of success that are rooted in empowerment, solidarity, and self-acceptance.
[1] Black, Ernest, and Kirk Kirkwood. “Twice as Good to Get Half: Content and Context of Black Male Teachers and Administrators.” Voicing Diverse Teaching Experiences, Approaches, and Perspectives in Higher Education. IGI Global, 2022. 17-27.
[2] Busari, Jamiu O. “The taste of success: how to live and thrive as black scholars in inequitable and racialized professional contexts.” Postgraduate medical journal 99.1170 (2023): 365-366.
[3] Hassinger, Jane A. “Twenty-first-century living color: Racialized enactment in psychoanalysis.” Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society 19 (2014): 337-359.
[4] Hussey, Maria, ed. The rise of the Jim Crow era. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc, 2015.
[5] Morgan, Jennifer L. Reckoning with slavery: Gender, kinship, and capitalism in the early Black Atlantic. Duke University Press, 2021.
[6] Bruce, Dickson D. “WEB Du Bois and the idea of double consciousness.” American Literature 64.2 (1992): 299-309.
[7] Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt, and Manning Marable. Souls of black folk. Routledge, 2015.
[8] Greene, Jeremy D. “All Along the Ivory Tower: Black American Identity as Voiced by Poetic Youths.” (2023).
[9] Hicks, Shari Renee. A critical analysis of post traumatic slave syndrome: A multigenerational legacy of slavery. California Institute of Integral Studies, 2015.
[10] Sue, Derald Wing, et al. “Racial microaggressions in everyday life: implications for clinical practice.” American psychologist 62.4 (2007): 271.
[11] Fanon, Frantz. “Black skin, white masks.” Social theory re-wired. Routledge, 2023. 355-361.