‘Universities are made for people who are white’

Jason Arday was the youngest black professor at Cambridge (Picture:llee_wu/flickr)

There was a racist witch-hunt against Professor Jason Arday. It was a public lynching.

If a black academic makes a mistake, the scrutiny is far more profound than if it were a white staff member, whatever their status.

White male professors have plagiarised, have sexually harassed students and even where their cases are proven, they have remained in post.

The scrutiny of Jason’s personal life was barbaric and savage. It left nothing private. It was about destroying him.

There is a dehumanisation of people of colour, of black people, people who are neurodivergent. They are treated as if they are not human beings.

This is not a one off. Racism in higher education has always existed.

Universities are systems of white supremacy, built and made for people who are white, not for people of colour.

There have been some changes, some widening of access and opening of doors to people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

So in recent decades there has been a substantial increase in black people at university.

But there is a huge gap in degree outcomes. That hasn’t changed since it was first measured in 2005.

Exclusive: My friend Jason Arday died because of a racist witch-hunt

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This used to be called the attainment gap–but it wasn’t about students’ attainment it was about the awarding of degrees.

For university staff, racism has existed forever.

You can see it in promotion rates, with white staff progress being significantly higher. The same is true across gender, with males progressing quicker than females.

There is also an ethnicity pay gap, with white staff paid more than staff of colour.

Of the professors, less than 1 percent are black, and for black women the number is even lower. This is racism.

The attack on diversity, equality and inclusion policies, so rampant in US, is being used by political parties here too—especially by the far right.

Jason was one of those people you rarely meet in universities. He was a brilliant academic whose work I have used over the past decade. He was also a gentle, kind, and generous person.

We can honour his legacy, and the beautiful person he was, by respecting his family.

There will be a time to commit to action—now is the time to grieve.

Syra Shakir is the Associate Professor and Strategy Lead for Race Equity at Leeds Trinity University and chairs the Anti-Racist Scholar Collective, an international network for academics and activists.