It is not a positive thing that Europeans and Americans seem to now be valuing immigrants especially those who are health professionals. Until “foreigners” and “immigrants” don’t need to be exceptional or have life saving skills to be treated with dignity, nothing has changed.

Which is why, while I find narratives of “black excellence” to be all well and good, I am not particularly interested in this. I am interested in the right of black people and minorities to also be mediocre. Until we get equal dignity for black mediocrity, we haven’t nearly won.

If I do not have to prove that I am a known writer/life saving doctor/renowned researcher/very rich before I can easily back pack through the world, then maybe we have progress. Our cultural/political etc elite will always be able to sit at the table. I will always get a visa.

But when Kwesi the fisherman from Winneba can backpack as easily as Susan the small shop owner from Odenwaldkreis then maybe. I am not interested in Professor Big Man and Dr Specialist whose friends will escalate on Twitter if they get denied a visa for the cool conference.