Superspade is a term that has been used since the early 1900s to describe
African Americans that were exceptionally gifted in different areas. The label was primarily given to athletes (e.g.
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games.
Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lifeti ...
,
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...
) and entertainers (e.g.
Jimi Hendrix,
Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive Go ...
). The term was used to capture "the essence of what was expected of black folks. They had to be sensational." (Behee 1974) It stems from the notion that in order to be recognized, accepted and successful, individuals who were black had to outperform their white counterparts.
References
* Behee, John. ''Hail to the Victors!'' Ann Arbor: Ulrich's Books, 1974.
* Leab, Daniel J. ''From Sambo to Superspade: The Black Experience in Motion Pictures.'' Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1975. {{ISBN, 0-395-19402-4
African-American society