How Accusations Against Black Academics Point to the Real End of “Woke 1.0”

The British academy was recently shaken by a scandal that escalated into tragedy. Jason Arday, a young Black neurodivergent professor from Cambridge, resigned due to accusations of plagiarism. He was found dead by apparent suicide at his home last Friday, at the age of 41. The Guardian editorialized the professor's death as a warning sign, pointing out that his case resembled a Trumpian campaign against diversity and inclusion.

Arday's death highlights that the ideological assault on Black and POC scholars is gaining ground, and the backlash against DEI programs is increasingly adopting the same tone as its conservative detractors. Universities in the United States are facing financial challenges, with enrollment declining and tuitions soaring, while professionalization of academics is becoming increasingly unsustainable due to degraded working conditions.

This climate is propitious for reactionary explanations, making it easier to defend the institution's interests when defending Black Studies appears precarious in a racist country. Another Black academic, Kerri Greenidge, faced similar accusations of plagiarism and was fired from Tufts University and had a book contract canceled.

Greenidge denied the allegations, claiming they were racially motivated. The debate about her scholarship was driven by racial bias and power imbalances, as prominent white historians have more leeway in their work. Greenidge's scholarship, focusing on the continued violence of slavery within a family celebrated for transcending it, is crucial in exposing the flaws of white feminist history.