Impostor syndrome is having a massive effect on the black middle class

Impostor syndrome is now a widely known term whereby individuals doubt their accomplishments and fear that they don’t deserve their success.

More recently, the discussion around impostor syndrome has turned to social class. Britain’s class system is unique: it’s simultaneously a source of pride, shame, envy, scorn and ambition and is packed with more nuances than most outsiders can begin to understand. However you feel about it, it’s an institution and is identified with, in some form or another, by the majority of the nation.

But what is rarely discussed is the concept of impostor syndrome ultimately hindering black people's impact within British society, because they doubt whether their education, income and career achievements are good enough to assimilate as middle class.

The UK’s middle-class is the social group between the upper and lower classes, a group defined by their tastes, upbringing, education, occupation, income and lifestyle. There is a difference between the traditional middle class and the new wave of black people with traditional working-class values that have propelled them through their careers to become part of a new black middle class.

Despite the “achievement” of making it to a middle-class status, there are black people who reject it and social class as a whole, or they prefer to identify as working class, versus their current socioeconomic status. This is possibly out of loyalty to their African or Caribbean upbringing and heritage, or impostor syndrome, where despite working hard to succeed, feel like they don’t belong.

Class, by definition, is not related to race, so why do so many black people refuse the notion of a black middle class?

For some, defining oneself as middle class can be interpreted as a rejection of the perceived suppression and segregation of black people, the struggles we face in climbing the social class ladder and the values and work ethic that allowed us to do so.

Some black people might attempt to overcome the challenges that come with being black middle class, for example, change their names or forego the correct pronunciation to fit in. There are those that change accents to sound posh, and adopt mockney accents to fit in. This fear of feeling like an impostor leads to a rejection of social class altogether. There's an underlying concept that "we" should not be here and therefore find a way to blend in as much as possible.

After years of striving to better ourselves and obtain an upward career trajectory, we find ourselves facing a new and unexpected challenge – resentment from some of our peers as though we don't fit or belong in the middle class.

There are few visible black role models operating in fields like literature, finance, architecture, media or law – and those who do exist are still seen as anomalies. Whilst steps are being taken to lower the barrier to entry into these industries, the appeal of these professions within the communities they’re now so keen to welcome is somewhat limited, largely due to the fact that it simply doesn’t seem feasible – it doesn’t seem like something that happens or something that’s meant for them.

The wider impact of impostor syndrome and the black middle class on British society is that success within our community only seems to be celebrated when it’s achieved by musicians, entertainers and sportspeople.

The danger is that ambitious young black people will fail to recognise the value of channelling traditional working-class values towards experiencing upward social mobility which should be a mark of accomplishment and pride, not resentment.

Diana Young is co-founder, managing director and editor of PR and media intelligence tool Fashion and Beauty Insight. She is also founder of digital marketing consultancy WeSocialis