Many dread aging, but for some Black centenarians, 100 is just another number. Elizabeth Eley, who is 100, can still walk on her own, make her bed and enjoys making biscuits and talking with her friends on the phone. While the life expectancy for Black people is a little more than five years less than white people, when a Black person passes the 85, their life expectancy outnumbers white Americans, according to Antonius Skipper, an assistant professor at Georgia State University’s Gerontology Institute. He calls this phenomenon a mortality “crossover,” and said resilience is one of the main factors helping Black people get to this stage. “The strongest of the strongest tend to be those who make it to the age of 85,” Skipper said. “If you think all you’ve endured over your life course — I’ve been through racism. I’ve been through discrimination. I’ve been through all of this stuff over 85 years, I’m strong and resilient and able to get through those different things that may come a...