I was going to send out this edition of the newsletter this weekend rounding up some of my own recent work and writing. But I do not feel up to it today. I am writing this the morning after the news of Dr. Jason Arday’s death. After the early initial reports of the case emerged a few weeks ago, I have not been following the news on this because there have been enough people around me keen to give me the updates. I am still in shock and talking only to my colleagues about this because we are all so upset.

I was particularly incensed when my dad, who knew nothing about this, sent me a video sent to him by his pal, of a UK right wing talking head gleefully calling out the ‘woke elite mob’. I was troubled that the first time my father heard about this was from some random online ‘expert’. I could not click through and watch it. I did not care and did not think I would learn anything from hearing that man’s opinion or take.

One thing that has always felt uncomfortable about this case has been gleeful and truculent commentary about ‘woke’ and ‘anti-woke’ and ‘woke elite’. This is USAmerican language that has infected other parts of the world. Obviously, US conceptions of race do not map onto the UK, or Europe; nor does the symbolic and material power of US higher education port over to the UK, particularly in how HE has been drawn into the right’s attack on the left. (These words left and right have always felt dated and strange to me, and I pay attention to who takes them seriously, and when.)

I am giving myself the weekend to reflect and feel sad and bad; and then I hope I can refocus and think about what the new term will bring in terms of conversations, responsibilities, and demands we will make of our employer- and of each other. The narrative about the British media-mob are not really my concern at this moment; there are enough avenues and spaces for them to be taken to task, and they will be. There will be a lot of discussion- again- about race in the UK. I hope there is a discussion about ableism and neurodivergence too. I want us to double down on intersectionality and drive the ‘right’ crazy.

I am thinking about the work ahead - of accountability, of care for each other, as part of how we are excellent in our work as educators and scholars.

Rest in Power and Peace, Dr. Jason Arday.

-Maya.

(The title is from the first line of Funeral Blues by the English poet, WH Auden)