The British press should hang its collective head in shame for hounding a man to his early grave.
Accused of plagiarism, a sin many of his white fellow academics have survived, Professor Jason Arday was driven to suicide on 14 August.
In 249 vicious articles, including in British tabloids, the youngest black professor at Cambridge University was sacrificed simply to maintain the incumbency of the white supremacist dinosaurs who have arrogated to themselves the distinction of being the rightful owners of the ivory towers of English academia.
Over 22 days, the sociology professor crumbled under the relentless attack on his academic qualifications and standing.
At his wit’s end, he resigned, thinking that would put the matter to rest.
Alas, nine days after Arday quit, 188 articles were conjured by the lynch mob who were out for blood.
In pursuit of the next sensational headline, the broadsheets ignored warnings about the man’s mental health.
The fact that he was born autistic quickly translated into a mockery of the condition and questions arose even about his athletic prowess and entire personal history.
For a moment, forget about Nathan Cofnas, who presided over this kangaroo court that judged and convicted Arday. His attachment to eugenics tells you all you need to know about his views on the fallacy that white skin equates to more intelligence than the darker hue.
There are just too many bigots to mention but the same media let white academics guilty of the same crime get off scot-free. This is not a rarity.
At the same Cambridge, William O’ Reilly, a white associate professor of modern history, faced a plagiarism complaint too. A university disciplinary tribunal gave him a slap on the wrist, adjudicating his case as a result of negligence. The newspaper titles that dedicated acres of space to Arday paid O’Reilly’s case scant regard.
The disproportionate media attention is the clearest analysis of the entire UK press you will get. They hunt like a pack of wolves and smell blood by skin colour.
At just 41, Arday was too young to die, given that the dons of universities across the UK traverse the campuses as octogenarians, virtually dying in the lecture halls.
The protest marches in honour of Arday and the funds raised in aid of his family should be an indictment on the agenda of yellow journalism.
Attaining professorship at 37, Arday was living proof that skin colour was no determinant for academic excellence.
May his legacy endure.