Describes an individual who engages with Black identity, culture, or community on a conditional basis—supporting aspects that align with their comfort, image, or personal gain while distancing from deeper commitments that require solidarity, sacrifice, or accountability. Often expressed through an “à la carte” mindset, this approach embraces certain expressions of Blackness while neglecting or excluding others—particularly at the intersections of queerness, disability, and marginalized gender identities. It reflects a curated connection to Blackness that prioritizes optics over liberation, and preference over principle.
The everyday use of “Black pride” on social media, while dismissing the struggles of Black LGBTQIA+ folks, revealed a Selective Black mindset—an à la carte approach to identity that prioritizes aesthetics over collective liberation.
by Tamtheeicon June 24, 2025