That editorial:
Arday’s fate is distressing, and especially so for Black scholars and those from other communities that are under-represented in academic research, many members of which report feeling vulnerable and unsupported at this time. There is systemic racism in academia. It is an unwelcoming place for many who enter it through hardship and struggle, as Arday’s story illustrates. It is not acceptable that these barriers persist. On top of this, scholars from Black and other under-represented communities fear that the intensity of attention Arday faced could one day be focused on them. The question many are asking is: ‘Could I be next?’
Yes, it’s all about racism.
The obvious point about Jason Arday and racism is that he was over-promoted and under-inverstigated because he was black. That’s the sense in which this whole sorry tale reflects on other black academics: not because they could be the target of a racist pile-on, but because they could now be subject to unwarranted suspicion that they too were promoted beyiond their capabilities simply because of the colour of their skin.
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