‘Old racist wine in a new bottle’: Black academics respond to Jason Arday affair

The Guardian UK Saturday 08 August 2026, 13:00 UTC By Chris Osuh Community affairs correspondent 1 min read

Key Points

Figures in higher education feel double standards are being used to delegitimise work of minority groups“Jason has to take responsibility for what he did. But when a white person makes mistakes, it’s just a story about them as an individual. When a Black person makes a mistake, it’s treated as collective – and used to undermine the very principle that Black people should be in these spaces,” one Black academic said this week, describing the impact of Jason Arday’s case on his peers.

Figures in higher education feel double standards are being used to delegitimise work of minority groups

“Jason has to take responsibility for what he did. But when a white person makes mistakes, it’s just a story about them as an individual. When a Black person makes a mistake, it’s treated as collective – and used to undermine the very principle that Black people should be in these spaces,” one Black academic said this week, describing the impact of Jason Arday’s case on his peers.

Arday, who was the University of Cambridge’s youngest Black professor when appointed in 2023, stepped down this week amid allegations of plagiarism and embellishing his CV.

Jason Arday (PERSON) groups“Jason (PERSON) Jason Arday’s (PERSON) the University of Cambridge’s (ORG)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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‘Old racist wine in a new bottle’: Black academics respond to Jason Arday affair

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