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When White People Say That Black People are “Overqualified” — What They Mean
A Closer Look at Racial Dynamics in the Workplace
In the professional landscape, “overqualified” is a term we often hear, especially as Black professionals. It’s a coded message, a subtle nod to a familiar and disturbing reality. On the surface, being overqualified means your skills and experience surpass what the job requires. Yet, when you constantly hear this from a white perspective while being Black, the term takes on a more insidious meaning. It’s not just about having extra skills; it’s a veiled way of saying you’re a threat to the status quo, a challenge to the existing power dynamics.
This is a phenomenon I’ve personally encountered. A white senior colleague asked me outright, “Martin, why are you here? You are overqualified for this job.” The same sentiment was echoed by another southern white man when he asked me about my background (“How did you get this job?”), and I detailed my resume. Another white woman on my interview panel told her colleagues that I seemed to know too much and answered the interview questions too well, so I may have an inside connection, rendering me disqualified for the job. I did not have an inside connection, but I had studied and researched them thoroughly. Luckily, she was not the hiring manager, so I got the job. It…
