But even when I find myself frustrated by their work , I find that I would rather have them doing what they do than doing nothing at all , and if it is not , in the end , greatly advancing black intellectualism or not advancing it as much as they think it is , it is probably not doing the cause of black intellectualism any harm , either , or any more harm than I or any of the rest are doing in our bumbling way .
By studying outliers in their neighborhoods they are in their own way adding to our understanding .