The proverbial elephant in the room: “raceless” antiracism, development communications and African diaspora invisibility

Abstract

In response to the transnational Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and decolonising agendas, the UK and Irish development sectors are re-evaluating their approaches to race and racism. These racial justice imperatives have renewed longstanding criticisms of problematic representations of African impoverishment in development communications. Despite attempts to incorporate African community perspectives and offer more nuanced portrayals, many anti-racism strategies remain raceless, implicitly adopting colour-blind approaches that neglect the role of Whiteness. This failure to engage openly and critically with race undermines meaningful progress, leading to superficial changes that further marginalise African diaspora populations beyond continental Africa – over here – in the UK and Ireland, ignoring their unique experiences of these representations. Drawing on their respective research, Ademolu and Dillon critique these limitations, arguing that integrating critical race analysis is essential for genuine transformation in development communications. Such shifts are crucial for addressing systemic inequalities and effectively empowering marginalised diasporic Africans.

Ademolu, E., & Dillon, E. (2025). The proverbial elephant in the room: “raceless” antiracism, development communications and African diaspora invisibility. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2025.2490185