Why does Priyamvada Gopal find ‘eloquence’ troubling?

Why should anyone feel insulted when they are described as ‘eloquent’? Priyamvada Gopal, professor of post-colonial studies at Cambridge University, felt moved to speak on behalf of David Olusoga when I used that very compliment to describe him. In an article for the Daily Telegraph, I argued that Olusoga’s testimony in the trial of the ‘Colston Four’ was not relevant. After all, it was not a trial of the long-dead Edward Colston but one for criminal damage. Would Olusoga have been called as an expert witness were he not something of a celebrity whose TV appearances are often impressive? I’m not convinced. Yet in the eyes of my Cambridge colleague, my biggest error was to refer to Olusoga’s impressive way with words.

‘Calling writers/scholars/intellectuals of colour ‘eloquent’ or ‘articulate’, Gopal averred, ‘can quite often be a little sleight of hand dismissal: ‘yeah yeah yeah, you talk a good game, people are gonna like it, but you’re just whipping up passions, no substance’.

The suggestion was that the e-word could be used as a sort of back-handed compliment to those from certain ethnic minorities, a condescending way of appearing to offer praise while really expressing disdain for their views.