There is a peculiar habit that appears with remarkable frequency in American and British political commentary. Whenever an issue is said to concern black communities, a familiar chorus emerges from television studios, newspaper columns and social media platforms.
“Where are the black leaders?”
“Why aren’t black leaders telling their people to do this?”
“Black leaders need to guide their communities that way.”
The assumption lurking beneath these statements is fascinating. It suggests that millions of black citizens are not individuals capable of making their own political, social and economic choices, but members of a flock awaiting instructions from designated shepherds.
It is a strange idea in societies that pride themselves on democracy.
The last time I checked, citizens in Britain and America vote for councillors, mayors, governors, MPs, senators, presidents and prime ministers. These elected officials are supposed to represent everyone within their jurisdictions. Their mandate does not stop at the edge of a black neighbourhood and resume in a white suburb. Their responsibility extends to all citizens, regardless of race.
Yet some commentators persist in speaking as though black people constitute a separate political species requiring a parallel leadership structure.
One is left wondering: where exactly is this office of Supreme Leader of Black People located? Is there a headquarters? A uniform? A hotline? Are elections held? If so, nobody seems to have informed the voters.
The reality is far less exotic. Black people are as politically diverse as anyone else. They disagree among themselves. They argue. They vote differently. They support different parties, ideologies and causes. Some are conservatives, some liberals, some socialists, some libertarians and many simply wish politicians would stop talking and start fixing potholes.
The notion that one self-appointed spokesperson can “deliver” or direct millions of people is not merely outdated. It is patronising.
There is an uncomfortable whiff of colonial thinking about it. The assumption that a group must be spoken for, guided or managed by designated intermediaries rather than treated as citizens possessing agency and independence.
Imagine reversing the formula.
Suppose every social problem involving white communities prompted commentators to demand that “white leaders” control their people. Suppose every outbreak of political extremism, anti-social behaviour or public disorder led to calls for white community leaders to bring their flock into line.
The reaction would be immediate and entirely justified. People would point out that white citizens are individuals, not a monolithic bloc. They would reject the implication that millions share a single mind or require collective supervision.
Precisely.
The same standard should apply to everyone.
The obsession with racial shepherding also distracts from what actually drives inequality. The principal divide in modern societies is increasingly economic rather than biological. Wealth creates opportunity. Opportunity creates influence. Influence creates political power. Political power often helps preserve wealth.
That cycle affects people of every colour.
Economic disadvantage can trap families for generations. Better schools, safer neighbourhoods, access to capital, professional networks and stable employment frequently matter more than the pigmentation chart favoured by activists and commentators alike.
This is not to deny the reality of discrimination. It exists. It has existed. It continues to exist in various forms. But reducing every challenge to race while ignoring economics is like diagnosing a patient after examining only one symptom.
The most effective route towards equality is not the endless search for racial spokespeople. It is expanding economic opportunity.
Create conditions where talent matters more than background.
Ensure education opens doors rather than closes them.
Make housing, employment and entrepreneurship accessible.
Allow merit to flourish.
Do that and many social tensions begin to diminish naturally.
That was, in many ways, the aspiration behind the dream articulated by Martin Luther King Jr.. Not a society obsessed with racial gatekeepers and authorised representatives, but one moving steadily towards judging people by character, achievement and humanity rather than ancestry.
Progress has not been perfect. History rarely travels in a straight line. Yet it would be difficult to deny that enormous advances have been made. Opportunities unavailable to previous generations are now commonplace. Barriers once considered immovable have fallen.
The journey is incomplete, but the destination remains visible.
So perhaps it is time for pundits to retire the language of flocks, tribes and racial shepherds. Citizens do not require self-appointed racial overseers to think on their behalf.
And if commentators insist on searching for racial leaders to instruct entire populations, I have a modest proposal.
Let us establish a Commission for the Proper Management of White Folk. We can convene conferences, issue guidance notes and organise seminars on appropriate behaviour. Perhaps a few television panels can debate whether white communities are being sufficiently directed by their leaders.
The absurdity becomes obvious the moment the mirror is turned around.
Democracy already has leaders. They are called elected representatives. Their job is to serve everyone.
The rest of us are citizens, not livestock.
Centre for Nigeria Progress 