We are angered by the horrific targeting and treatment of Professor Jason Arday and deeply saddened by his tragic death. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and all those whose lives he touched, as they grieve and deal with the aftermath of what has happened.

Pepsi Monderoy-James, Hackney CVS’s Director of Communities, Health and Partnerships, says: “Many Black and Global Majority professionals know what it feels like to work under disproportionate scrutiny; to experience concerns about performance, capability or ‘fit’ in ways that can feel different from those experienced by others. Terms such as disciplinary processes, wellbeing concerns, conversations about work-life balance or ‘protected conversations’ can, at times, sit within wider systems and structures that continue to reflect longstanding inequalities.

“Many of us move through professional spaces carrying an unspoken awareness that our competence, authority or legitimacy may be questioned. We work hard to prove ourselves, often within systems that do not always recognise or value our contributions equally.

“For Black leaders in particular, confidence, conviction and standing firmly by our values can too easily be interpreted as aggression, resistance or being ‘difficult’, rather than recognised as leadership.

“Professor Arday’s death has prompted important reflection on the experiences of Black and Global Majority people across our institutions, including within the voluntary and community sector.

“As a Black leader myself, these reflections feel personal. They remind me that the work of challenging inequality is not simply about representation at the table; it is about whether people are genuinely valued, heard, respected and able to exercise leadership without having to constantly prove their right to be there.

“That is why these conversations matter.”

Bejal Shah, CEO at Hackney CVS, adds: “Some of these experiences have felt very close to home, and I stand in solidarity with my Black colleagues, who I know have been deeply and personally impacted by this.

“At Hackney CVS, we have been doing a lot of thinking about what we stand for and what we will stand up against as we continue to evolve as an organisation.

“Anti-racism cannot simply be a value we name. It has to shape how we use our power, who we listen to, whose expertise we value, the work we choose to do and the systems and relationships we challenge.

“We are committed to putting Black and Global Majority-led organisations, their workforces and the communities they serve at the heart of our work. That means continuing to listen to and learn from their experiences, recognising and valuing their expertise, and challenging the power dynamics and structures, including white supremacy, that create and reproduce inequality.

“In doing so, we also honour the legacy of our founder, Adiaha Antigha, whose vision for a more equitable and empowered community remains at the centre of why Hackney CVS exists. We will keep listening, learning and doing the work.”

Rest in power, Professor Jason Arday.