Jason Arday is now the stick the right will use to beat back racial equality. Don’t let that happen | Afua Hirsch
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>The UK is far from equality in academia or society. You don’t need a Cambridge degree to see that Arday’s story is being used to stop any progress in its tracks</p><p>In 1987, a college at the University of Cambridge considered offering a prestigious position to a black man in what would be the first appointment of its kind. Not only did the man not have a degree, but he had left school at the age of 13, struggling with dyslexia and – at the time – unable to read or write. That he would later to go on to accumulate 20 honorary doctorates and become a professor of creative writing is only one way, and in my view not the best one, of measuring his talent.</p><p>The man was the late, great poet <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/benjamin-zephaniah">Benjamin Zephaniah</a>. And he had been nothing but transparent about his lack of credentials. In fact it was his background that made him eligible for this fellowship, which was designed to reach out to somebody in the community who didn’t have a degree, to give them the opportunity to have a connection with the university.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/13/jason-arday-right-racial-equality-society">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
The UK is far from equality in academia or society. You don’t need a Cambridge degree to see that Arday’s story is being used to stop any progress in its tracksIn 1987, a college at the University of Cambridge considered offering a prestigious position to a black man in what would be the first appointment of its kind. Not only did the man not have a degree, but he had left school at the age of 13, struggling with dyslexia and – at the time – unable to read or write. That he would later to go on to accumulate 20 honorary doctorates and become a professor of creative writing is only one way, and in my view not the best one, of measuring his talent.The man was the late, great poet Benjamin Zephaniah. And he had been nothing but transparent about his lack of credentials. In fact it was his background that made him eligible for this fellowship, which was designed to reach out to somebody in the community who didn’t have a degree, to give them the opportunity to have a connection with the university. Continue reading...
Curation & Context
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