Cambridge University has appointed its youngest Black professor, a young man who was illiterate until the age of 11 and learned to read and write only after turning 18. Next month, Jason Arday, who will be 37 years old then, will begin teaching sociology of education at the university’s College of Education.
Having been diagnosed with global development delay and autism spectrum disorder at a young age, Arday had to overcome a number of obstacles. His therapists foresaw a lifetime commitment to an assisted living facility as his care needed.
Yet, he disproved the naysayers by becoming one of just five Black professors at Cambridge University. Out of a total of 23,000 university professors in the UK, only 155 are said to be African-American.
He had posted his list of aspirations on his mother’s bedroom wall as a way to disprove the claims of his therapists and physicians.
He started off his career as a college professor by being violently rejected, he claimed. Yet by perseverance and dedication, he has earned a position as a professor at the world’s number two institution.
His close friend and mentor, Sandro Sandi, reportedly provided him with the support and motivation he needed to pursue a career in academia. Since then, Arday has landed positions at two English institutions and published his first work.
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After gaining employment at the University of Glasgow’s Faculty of Education, he quickly rose to prominence as one of the UK’s youngest full professors.
