The proportion of Black professors in the UK has remained broadly static at around 1% of the total cohort, despite recent public discussions. This figure suggests that post-Black Lives Matter DEI measures are not broadly changing academia.
At the University of Cambridge, 75 of its 6,180 academics across all levels were Black in the last academic year, according to the Higher Education Statistics Authority. This indicates that Black academics remain a significant minority within the institution.
Critics of DEI have framed the case of a recently resigned Cambridge professor, Jason Arday, as evidence that diversity initiatives have taken over elite institutions. However, sector statistics suggest that a glass ceiling persists for Black professionals in various fields, including the UK civil service and media jobs.
DEI initiatives are not solely focused on race, but also include factors such as disability, class, and gender. The discourse around DEI has reportedly become a byword for 'Black' in conversations about employment and representation.