College

Ibram X. Kendi Is Wrong About Jason Arday

Are the media responsible for the demise of a famous black professor at the University of Cambridge?

Robby Soave | 8.18.2026 5:30 PM

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Are the media responsible for the demise of a famous black professor at the University of Cambridge? Jason Arday was found dead last week after resigning from the university following widespread serious plagiarism allegations. But his defenders say Arday was unfairly targeted by racist reactionaries. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, assailed the media for engaging in a campaign of "pernicious public shaming," and the activist group Stand Up to Racism said he'd been subjected to a racist witch hunt.

Most notably, the anti-racist activist Ibram X. Kendi stated unequivocally that "the media lynched Jason Arday."

The death of Jason Arday hit so close to home that I had no words yesterday. But I woke up with words.

To be a prominent antiracist Black scholar is to know you are a target, almost totally surrounded by resentments. You know that at any point, the attacks can come like a lynch… pic.twitter.com/XetSepzJrx

— Ibram X. Kendi (@ibramxk) August 15, 2026

He writes:

To be a prominent antiracist Black scholar is to know you are a target, almost........

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