There is a persistent, and frankly damaging, mindset that continues to afflict certain journalists and self-styled “anti-racism experts”. It is the quiet but unmistakable presumption of intellectual superiority: the belief that they are, by default, more enlightened than the rest of us.
This assumption is not only arrogant, but deeply counterproductive. It fosters a sense of detachment from the very communities and conversations they purport to champion. Rather than building bridges, it erects walls. It alienates those who are engaged in this work not for professional advancement, but out of genuine interest, lived experience, or moral commitment.
While some are busy polishing their credentials and cultivating their personal brands, others, often unpaid, unrecognised, and excluded from the institutional spotlight are pushing the discourse forward. These are the individuals who identify emerging patterns, challenge comfortable assumptions, and take intellectual risks without the cushion of a salary or an academic title. More often than not, they are years ahead in thought, unconstrained by professional orthodoxy or performative posturing.
It is ironic that those most invested in the appearance of progressiveness are often the least willing to be challenged. The work of dismantling systemic inequality demands humility, not hierarchy. It requires listening more than lecturing, especially to those who are doing the hard thinking, unencumbered by the need to be seen as “the expert”.
The future of this work does not belong to those who believe they have already arrived. It belongs to those who remain open, curious, and willing to evolve. Perhaps it is time the so-called experts stopped looking down from their pedestals, and started looking around.
@newdaystarts
